Grave Tilling 101
by Seylin
Summary: For Anakin Skywalker life itself revolved around his Master, QuiGon Jinn, but when he dies on Naboo, Anakin must find it in his heart to care for QuiGon's parting giftyoung ObiWan Kenobi. [AU, SLASH AnixObi, QuixAni] Standard disclaimers apply. Coauthored
1. Prologue Mansion World

Co-authored with Aubrey'sMaster.

Grave Tilling 101  
Prologue

_On the mansion world the roles reverse  
A slave becomes a Master  
On the mansion world the souls converse  
And life moves a little faster  
When we unify the universe  
To arrive in the ever after  
In the mansion world, I might like to know you_

Mansion World (Deadsy, Commencement)

A LONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…

Anakin couldn't believe it. He couldn't fucking believe it! Qui-Gon had been dead for more than a week, and he still couldn't believe it. Qui-Gon Jinn was dead. His precious, precious Master had left him. Not only that, he'd left him with a nine-year-old child! Not to say that the child was actually Anakin's. Not in the least. The recently Knighted blonde probably wouldn't have minded as much if Qui-Gon had left him with a son. But, no, the bastard had landed him a pupil, then gotten himself killed, effectively leaving his own Padawan to clean the mess up. Again. It was so typical of Qui-Gon, Anakin could have barfed had the situation not been so grave. (Literally and figuratively.)

Looking over at the brown haired boy with a less than subtle look, Anakin's hand automatically reached up to play with his Padawan braid. Or, where his Padawan braid had been, until recently. He could still feel the surreal shiver passing down his spine, as Yoda severed the lock of hair.

The Council had approved his request to train young Obi-Wan Kenobi, on his Master's behalf, but the permission had been given with much reluctance, and many warnings. Quite a few of them, Anakin himself had agreed with. Not that he'd ever admit that aloud. Obi-Wan's midi-chlorian count had been so unusually high that Qui-Gon hadn't been able to resist taking the little tyke home, back to Coruscant and the Temple. Anakin had been against it from the beginning, but it hadn't been hard for Qui-Gon to con him into agreeing, through various methods of guilt and persuasion.

So now here he was: pre-maturely Masterless, at the age of twenty-five, sitting in the very same quarters he had shared so recently with Qui-Gon, in the middle of a staring contest with a young boy, who had still managed to be too old, both vying to outlast the other.

"Master," Obi-Wan murmured finally, trying to ignore the violent flinch it drew from Anakin, (who didn't feel himself worthy of being a Master in the least) "are you alright?"

"Fine," the Knight responded mechanically; rising to his feet in an attempt to, just maybe, get away from those prying blue-gray eyes. "I'm just fine."

"I'm going to miss him too, Master," Obi-Wan informed him simply, and Anakin could feel his intent eyes on his back as he froze and stiffened. What did this child know of Qui-Gon Jinn? This boy who had barely known the Jedi Master for a week, before Darth Maul had taken him back into the Force? What did he know of _anything_?

"Do not form attachments, Padawan," Anakin murmured finally instead, forcing his muscles to relax before they had a chance to cramp. "Not with me, or Qui-Gon, or friends, or family… Do not form them with anyone. Attachment leads to fear, anger, freed, and hate. These are of the dark side, and Jedi do not tolerate them."

"Master Yoda has told me all of these things, Master." Finally, Anakin spun around to face him. Kneeling down in front of the boy, he almost delicately lifted Obi-Wan's chin up to look into his eyes.

"Apparently not clearly enough."

Anakin knew he was being harsh with his new apprentice. He knew it all too clearly, but he couldn't bring himself to care for the boy. Not yet. He'd care soon enough, but right now caring felt too…raw. Between the deaths of his mother and Qui-Gon, Anakin very nearly feared caring for his little protégé. Releasing the child's chin again, he rose up to his feet and let out a deep breath, turning to walk toward the quarters' door, that would lead him back into the hallway.

"Where are you going, Master?" Obi-Wan's gaze was so warily curious it was almost cute. Anakin would let himself care about him eventually…just not yet.

"To meditate," he answered shortly, before exiting the rooms. He sorely wished the Council had relocated them to another set of quarters, after Qui-Gon had died. Moving into his Master's room so quickly had been potentially more painful than the funeral itself. It would be over his dead body, though, that young Obi-Wan Kenobi slept in Qui-Gon Jinn's bed. He'd make sure of it, just as well as he would ensure the boy be trained. He had made a promise to keep, after all.


	2. Smash

Chapter One

_Hey,  
__What are you thinking?  
I tried to read your face  
__Say,  
__Say what you're thinking  
__Don't carry 'round that pain  
_Smash (Goo Goo Dolls, GutterFlower)

When most Jedi said they intended to meditate, they were usually referring to retreating to the Temple gardens, or perhaps the Room of a Thousand Fountains, generally an actual meditation room. Not Anakin, though. When he meditated, peaceful settings were never the answer he sought. He went to the Temple hangar. It was there, amongst the closest friends he'd never had, of machines and shuttles, that he found true peace. When he was discovered, he was up to his waist under a Starfighter. It was a youngling Padawan who'd been looking for him, he noted, upon crawling back out from under the contraption. (He'd been repairing damage that the vehicle had sustained during the battle of Naboo.)

"Knight Skywalker," the little girl panted a little, apparently she'd ran all the way here. "Padawan Veld and Padawan Thel-Tanis are looking for you, Sir."

_Tru and Darra_, Anakin's mind translated blankly, as he wiped some grease off of his cheek with a sleeve. He hadn't seen either of his friends since Qui-Gon had died…Nodding in mute appreciation, he rose to his feet and went to go seek his friends out.

He'd known Tru Veld and Darra Thel-Tanis since he'd been about fourteen. They were two of his rare and far between living confidants. It was only natural that they'd be looking for him, but he'd been so overwhelmed by everything going on he hadn't had time to go find them.

"Anakin!" Darra's usually bright face was etched with concern for him, and it was obvious she had to physically restrain herself from hugging him. Masters were the closest beings to parents that Temple children ever got. The death of one's Master was devastating, to say the least. Still, he managed a smile for her. It was halfhearted, at the most, though. Losing any Master was devastating, losing Qui-Gon was about as close to a psychotic breakdown as Anakin could imagine. "Are you alright?" Darra wanted to know, her hair slightly tousled. Tru joined them shortly, jogging up behind Darra.

"We've been worried," Tru informed Anakin in a very near flat tone, one flexible arm twisting around behind his back in a nervous gesture that Anakin had long since come to recognize. He'd missed seeing it, he realized numbly. "Even Ferus has."

The blonde sniffed slightly at the mention of Ferus Olin. Ferus had been his rival for years, since the days of their formal training. Anakin had carried a disdain for the pompous man that even Qui-Gon hadn't been able to stamp out of him.

"It's bad, but I'll live." He settled on finally, leaning against the nearest wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Don't really have much of a choice." He had to stick around and take care of Obi-Wan, after all.

"I can't imagine what losing Soara would be like," Darra told him, playing anxiously with her trademark piece of bright cloth, woven into her long Padawan braid. "We know how close you were to Master Jinn, Anakin." Her words twisted his lips into a wry variation of a grin.

"I really don't think you do," he told her with a small snort. "But, enough about Qui-Gon."

"Yeah," Tru agreed with a fervent nod. "How's the kid shaping up?"

Anakin's eyes misted coolly. He wasn't crying, nowhere near it. This was something he'd learned to do a very long time ago, when he didn't want someone to know what he was thinking.

"He is."

Seeming to sense that this too was a poor choice of conversation, Tru glanced at Darra, silently urging her to think of something that might help console their short-tempered friend. She shrugged helplessly in response to his imploring look. Anakin was difficult to deal with sometimes, particularly when he was hurting. There could be no debate that he was certainly hurting now.

"I heard they got a new model of Starfighter in, in the hangar." Tru finally pulled from the air. It wasn't a lie. There was a new shipment; he had no doubt that Anakin already knew, though. Anakin always knew, and sure enough…

"I know. I was just there, before you two sent that girl looking for me."

Darra and Tru exchanged another look. Their best efforts to help their friend weren't getting them anywhere. Anakin had been closer to Qui-Gon than most Padawans were to their Masters, that much they knew. They also knew he'd have to deal with this in his own time, in his own way. All they could do was be there for him, when he finally broke. It still brought a sad shade to Darra's eyes, though, before she forced up a big smile for him.

"Sorry to bother you, then." Then, without another word, she turned and wandered off. Tru glanced after her, his silver eyes owning their own bizarre shade, before he too bid Anakin farewell.

"Anakin," the Teevan murmured over his shoulder at him. "You can talk to us, you know."

"There's nothing to say," Anakin called back, shrugging in a would-be nonchalant manner.

Once again left alone, Anakin pondered where eh should go next. In theory, he could simply return to the hangar, and wallow away some more hours, buried in an aft vent of a cruiser, repairing some insanely miniscule malfunction…A quick glance out the window nixed that idea. The solar mirrors were turning, to signal night was falling on the Galactic City. Turning, Anakin headed back for the dormitory and his own quarters, where he felt sure Obi-Wan would still be waiting for him. He certainly hoped the boy knew how to cook, or in all likelihood they would both starve.


	3. Before the Dawn

Chapter Two

_If only night can hold you where I can see you, my love,  
__Then let me never ever wake again  
__And maybe tonight, we'll fly so far away  
__We'll be lost before the dawn_

Before the Dawn (Evanescence, Origin)

"_Why so sad, Ani?"  
_"_I'm not sad, Master."  
_"_Please don't lie to me."  
_"_I don't know."  
_"_Are you lonely?"  
_"_No."  
_"_Then what? Look inside yourself, find the answers."  
_"_I don't want to."  
_"_What?"  
_"_I don't like what I see. I don't want to."  
_"_Jedi are not ruled by fear, my Padawan."  
_"_Master?"  
_"_Yes, Padawan?"_

"Master!"

Anakin snapped out of his thoughts, tearing his eyes away from the mediocre meal he'd prepared for himself and Obi-Wan. Focusing his attention at last on the present moment, he raised a mute eyebrow at the little boy across the table, being very careful to convey just how displeased he was that his memory had been interrupted. Obi-Wan seemed to falter under his Master's full gaze. Apparently, he'd forgotten what to say.

"If you've something to say, speak up, Apprentice," Anakin commanded, already half tuned out again.

"I…I was just wondering, if maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"If maybe tomorrow we can do something a bit more fun than book study."

Blinking calmly, Anakin pursed his lips together, thinking the concept over. Finally, he nodded, taking a bite from his food. Qui-Gon had been a much better cook than he could ever aspire to be…the food was yet another bitter reminder that he would never see his Master again. Perhaps the next day they'd go eat in the mess hall, with everyone else. The only reason they hadn't yet was because Anakin had been unwilling to take anymore staring, just yet. It was this same reason that he hadn't taken Obi-Wan for any practical training. (It really was his preference as well.)

"Tomorrow," he agreed.

Obi-Wan smiled at him and went back to his meal. He had heard and seen a bit of a sparring match between his Master and Master Jinn, but never really what he could do. The boy was, to say the least, curious. In the back of his mind, he also wondered if he would impress his Master. Master Jinn had seen something in him… maybe he could get Anakin to see that as well. Obi-Wan cast a quick glance up at Anakin before looking back down at his food. He did not want to disappoint Anakin.

"Your form's off," Anakin informed the child flatly, the next morning.

They'd gotten up early and headed over to the training rooms first thing, after a rather simple breakfast. The blonde Knight had requested that his apprentice show him what he could do. Having assessed the situation, Anakin's own blue light saber flared to life as he demonstrated mutely how the move should be preformed to be most effective in battle. The enemy wouldn't wait for you to regain your balance, after you jump at them, after all. Obi-Wan watched him closely, and then mimicked the movement.

"Better, Master?" He questioned.

"Better," his Master confirmed, his gaze detached as he watched. "Still room to improve, but better."

Obi-Wan nodded and took a deep breath before repeating the movements over and over again, so he would get them right in the future. Anakin watched him carefully, before finally sighing. He felt his skills paling in comparison to Qui-Gon's, as far as teaching went.

"Stop, stop, stop," he commanded finally, waving impatiently. "Just…stop. Take five…stop!"

Obi-Wan stopped, and turned to face him, panting slightly.

"Master?"

"That's…enough." The older Jedi decided, waving again, this time more distractedly. People would be arriving in the training rooms soon…he wasn't sure he was ready to face anyone yet. Facing Tru and Darra had been hard enough… "That's enough for today."

"Yes, Master. I have class soon…will you be alright?" Obi-Wan questioned, his concern showing in his eyes.

Blinking carefully, Anakin eyed him for a long moment.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Obi-Wan lowered his eyes.

"Just with recent events, you haven't been who you were before. Of course, you probably never will be the same again… Is it all right that I be concerned about you, Master?"

Anakin hesitated, his gaze drifting away from his Padawan again. Was it all right? Probably not. He could hear Qui-Gon and Yoda both scolding that the Padawan should not need to worry over the Master, in his mind.

"It's fine," he murmured finally, lying through his teeth. Obi-Wan smiled and bowed to him.

"I will see you after class, Master," he said and jogged away so he wouldn't be late.

Anakin watched after him for a brief moment, then left before too many more students or Knights could join him in the room. Once alone in his quarters – Qui-Gon's quarters – the young man sunk down to the floor of his bedroom. Surrounded by the few possessions his master had owned, unable to throw them away, Ani could still smell Qui-Gon. Shivers went down his spine… He could practically hear his wry connections, could almost see his gentle smile…could almost feel his remarkably, and unexpectedly, soft touch… Closing his eyes carefully, Anakin worked to preserve those feelings. He wasn't ready to give Qui-Gon up just yet.


	4. Beautiful Disaster

Chapter Three

_He drowns in his dreams  
__An exquisite extreme, I know  
__He's as damned as he seems  
__And more Heaven than a heart can hold  
__And if I try to save him  
__My whole world could cave in  
__It just ain't right  
__Oh, but it just ain't right…  
_Beautiful Disaster (Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway)

Obi-Wan returned to their quarter's hours later, once his classes ended. He set his books on the kitchen table. Where was his Master? He could feel him, but not see him.

"Master?" He called.

Reluctant, oh so very reluctant, to pull himself out of his mind and to his feet, Anakin made himself move toward his bedroom doorway, to see what his apprentice wanted. The wonderful feeling of Qui-Gon touching him again left him instantly, with his concentration's fleeting. Obi-Wan smiled at him.

"There you are, Master, I was wondering if I was imagining things."

The blonde almost choked when Obi-Wan said that. Why _would_ he say that?

"Imagining what, Padawan?"

"That you were actually here," Obi-Wan answered. "I could barely feel you, were you meditating? If so, I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"Meditating…" Anakin echoed, grimacing a little. He wasn't very good at mediating…it had driven Qui-Gon crazy for years. "Sort of…not exactly."

Obi-Wan nodded, it was not any of his business what Anakin did when he was alone. He turned away, and went to the table to start his homework. Letting out a shaky breath of relief, Anakin retreated back into his room again. This time he went straight for the bed. It would be more comfortable to force hallucinations on himself there, than on the floor, he decided with a self loathing sigh. Qui-Gon would smack him, if he ever saw him like this…Dwelling wasn't very befitting of a Jedi at all.

Obi-Wan didn't stop his work until his stomach grumbled in complaint. He looked at the time and then around the apartment. No Anakin, he sighed. The mess hall was closed by now, and Anakin wasn't that great of a cook. Maybe he could try it on his own…he had never cooked before, but maybe he could fix something decent. He briefly wondered if Anakin was hungry as well, but then dismissed it. If his Master was hungry, then would come out of his room, right?

At that moment, food was the last thing from Anakin Skywalker's mind. Right now all he wanted to do was let that spine tingling sensation of being so close to reunited with his precious Master flood over him; consume him completely. The rest didn't matter, at that moment. All that mattered was how much he loved the man that he could almost see through the Force, and how happy he was to have this chance to have him back, even temporarily.

"Anakin," Qui-Gon spoke softly.

"Master…" Anakin sat bolt upright, a smile tugging at his lips. Blue eyes flashed with true emotion for the first time in a week and their owner lunged forward to hug the man who was not there. Naturally, he passed through, and dismay set in once more. Still, it was better to have a Qui-Gon he could not touch than to have no Qui-Gon at all, right? Qui-Gon smiled at him, but there was concern in his eyes.

"You cannot do this to yourself, my Ani."

"Why not?" The question – the need to know – burned hotly in Anakin's eyes, as he sat back up to stare at his dead lover. "I…I miss you so…Why not, Master?"

"I miss you as well, my Ani. I would do anything to be able to hold you in my arms again, but it cannot be, yet. The Force has more for you and you must embrace it. Live for the moment, not in the past or the future."

Honest tears in his eyes, Anakin reached a shaking hand up, so nearly touching the bearded cheek that only he could see. He could remember how it felt to touch that beard…he'd loved to touch those bearded cheeks…

"The moment has nothing for me, my Master," he breathed, bright eyes focusing on Qui-Gon's. "It is the past – your past – that has made me happy…"

Qui-Gon smiled again. "But, now you must move onto your own future. You have a Padawan now, and you need to eat. You need to take care of yourself," Qui-Gon told him, chiding gently.

"Padawan…" Anakin echoed, snorting humorlessly. "He deserves…more than me. _Better_ than me. I can't teach him, like you would have been able to…"

"You will do fine, Anakin. You just must have the same faith in yourself that I have in you."

"I can't," the Knight repeated, shaking his head a little. "I can never give him all that he deserves…because my heart will always belong to you." Qui-Gon wouldn't be there, if it weren't true.

Qui-Gon's head turned to the door.

"You might want to go check on him," he stated.

Again reluctantly, Anakin nodded slowly and pulled back to himself to crawl out of bed, intending obedience. When the Knight exited the bedroom, smoke greeted him from Obi-Wan's attempt at cooking.

"Force," the Master coughed, going to join him in the kitchen. "What in all the hells are you _doing_?"

"Trying to cook. It didn't turn out well," Obi-Wan answered, putting out the fire.

"Apparently." Anakin eyed him dryly, before digging around in the fridge for a moment, and dragging out some fruit, tossing it to the boy. He missed Qui-Gon more than ever, gazing upon the chaos that had been supposed to be food.

"Thank you," he murmured and set the fruit down to clean up the mess he had made.

"I think…perhaps its best that neither of us touch that stove…" The Knight decided, eyeing the affronting object thoughtfully. "It's probably safer."

Obi-Wan chuckled and nodded.

"It doesn't seem to like us much, Master."

"The feeling is entirely mutual," Anakin promised him, tossing a glare at the stove before turning to Obi-Wan. Making eye contact with his apprentice made him feel horribly uncomfortable, though. He shifted awkwardly, wishing he were tucked away in his room again.

"I'm sorry you had to come out here, Master. It seems that I can do nothing but disturb you, so far," Obi-Wan told him.

"I needed to stop anyway." Anakin brushed him apology off, as though just realizing it for himself. "Falling too deep within yourself isn't healthy."

"How come?" Obi-Wan asked, hoping for an actual conversation.

Anakin hesitated again. Admissions could be dangerous things. He tried to think of a nice, safe way of answering.

"Because it might get to the point that you no longer wish to come back out."

Obi-Wan cocked his head to the side.

"Do you feel like that now, Master?"

Hesitating yet more, Anakin sighed and sat down at the little table, resting his face in his hands. The Master shouldn't trouble the Padawan with such trivialities. Qui-Gon would never have done so.

"Maybe a little," he admitted, despite himself. "But, do not concern yourself, Padawan," he added quickly to make up for it.

"I try not to, Master…but if there is anything I can do, you'll let me know, right?"

"If I think of something, you'll be the first to know."

"Okay," Obi-Wan agreed, already getting the sense that he probably wouldn't. "I finished my homework…do you want to check it or something?"

Thinking hard, Anakin tried to recall what Qui-Gon had done for him. He couldn't remember, so he tried to guess.

"I suppose so."

Obi-Wan started up the data-pad and put in his password, then turned it to him so he could look over the work. Anakin read through it carefully, before nodding and handing the data-pad back.

"You're better at theory than I was," he complimented with a dry snort. Obi-Wan smiled.

"Thank you, Master, I try."

"I'm sure you do." Anakin eyed him mutely for a moment, before handing the data-pad back and rising to his feet. He wasn't sure what to do next, but standing seemed like a good starting point.

"It's getting late, Master…will we have practice in the morning, or will I just go straight to classes?" Obi-Wan questioned.

Anakin frowned, thinking about that. He really would be failing, as a Master, if he neglected to actually _teach _his Padawan…

"Be up early," he instructed finally. "I want to get some good time in, before anyone else starts practice."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan gathered his books and headed for his room. "Goodnight, Master."

"Goodnight, Padawan." Anakin waved him off to bed, before disappearing back into his own room, to his own form of entertainment. His own warning echoed through his head, but he paid it no mind.

His Qui-Gon didn't answer him this time, as if telling him to go to sleep. Feeling dread welling in his head, squeezing it with icy tendrils, Anakin reached out to the Force, desperately but to no avail. Shivering unhappily, he slipped under the covers and inched one hand under his pillow. A light saber hilt waited there for him. Giving the weapon a gentle stroke with one finger, he somehow managed to drift off to sleep…somehow…


	5. Best Of Your Love

Chapter Four

_I'm going back in time and it's a sweet dream  
__It was a quiet night, and I would be all right  
__If I could go on sleeping  
__But every morning, I wake up and worry  
__What's going to happen today?  
__You see it your way  
__I see it mine  
__But we both see it slipping away  
__You know we always had each other, baby  
__I guess it wasn't enough  
__Here in my heart, I give you the best of my love  
_Best of Your Love (The Eagles)

The next morning, Obi-Wan was awake and drinking some juice when Anakin came out of his bedroom. It did not take both of them long to discover that they were not morning people, this worked out fine. Who wanted a happy chatty person around in the morning when all you wanted to do was still be warm and asleep in your bed? About thirty minutes and several glasses of liquid caffeine later, Anakin turned to his Padawan with a deep sigh, stretching appreciatively.

"Ready?"

Obi-Wan nodded and washed out his cup, then got his backpack, training saber and stood by the door. Anakin joined him shortly, two light sabers secured to his own side. Only one was visible, though. (Qui-Gon's green weapon, now his by inheritance, felt warm, tacked to his stomach and ribs by his belt, under his tunic.)

Anakin's time estimate had been correct, when he'd decided this was early enough. The training rooms were very nearly deserted. They managed to find a nice, private one that was completely empty. Ani was rather pleased.

"What shall we do, Master?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin considered for a moment. Qui-Gon had always let him do what he really wanted to first, so…

"What do _you_ want to do first?"

"I only know the basic things. I'm the Padawan, you're supposed to tell me."

"Very well." The blonde tried not to twitch. "Light saber Form I." He drew out his own glowing blue blade, and demonstrated before turning to his protégé. "Begin."

Obi-Wan copied his movements the best he could, remembering what Anakin had told him the day before.

"Again," Anakin ordered, arms crossed over his chest, when he finished. He had the boy repeat the movements several more times, before he sensed someone nearing the room's doors.

"Enough," he barked at that point. Obi-Wan put his training light saber away and came over to him.

"Will we do this every morning, Master?" He asked.

"I'd say so." Anakin nodded, running his fingers through his hair absently. "You won't learn without practice."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'll see you after class, Master," he said and bowed.

"Try not to set the kitchen on fire tonight," Anakin advised him distractedly, eager to hurry back to his solitude. Obi-Wan laughed lightly, in response, and nodded, walking away.

When Anakin returned to his room, he all but lunged onto the bed. Burying his face into the pillow, he breathed in the faint scent of his Master. He hoped Qui-Gon would heed his call this time…

"How is he doing?" The Jedi Master asked.

Snorting wryly, Anakin rolled over to face him; and gave the specter the same answer he'd given Tru.

"He is."

"You cannot get by me with that answer, Ani. I want to know, and in more than two words," Qui-Gon told him.

"Well enough," Anakin finished dryly. There. That made four words. Slowly grinning, he elaborated, "He's much better in his theory lessons that I was, but it's too early to tell about his practical skills."

Qui-Gon nodded thoughtfully, listening to his words with interest.

"Good. This will be a good test for you, Padawan. It will keep you on your toes."

"Still testing me, Master?" The teasing was blatant in the Knight's tone, as he gazed fondly at the older man. "Even the grave cannot stop you from that?"

"It seems not." The phantom Master smiled. "But, would you want it any other way?" He questioned.

"No." Tears stung at the blonde's eyes, he felt so happy to be with Qui-Gon again… "It's part of what makes you wonderful, Master."

"You are too good to me, Ani." Qui-Gon waved him off.

"Not so." Anakin felt a pain in his chest. He wanted so dearly to kiss his beloved right then, but it was quite impossible at the same time. Still, Qui-Gon cupped his cheek as best as he could, sending him warm waves through the Force.

Obi-Wan was just finishing his classes for the day, and was walking out of the training accommodation with his friend Bant, when Bruck Chun came up and pushed him roughly into the wall.

"Hey!" Bant exclaimed. "That's not nice, Bruck!" The bigger boy just laughed and pushed Obi-Wan again.

"Why would I care if it's nice? It's just Oafy-Wan," Bruck told her snottily.

"Bruck, stop it," Obi-Wan told him when he was finally allowed to stand straight without being pushed.

"What are you going to do, Oafy-Wan?" Bruck challenged. Obi-Wan just stood there, staring back at him; he was not one to cause a fight after all. "Stop staring at me, Oafy." With that, Bruck punched him right in the nose.

Anakin groaned, exasperated, when he felt distress flood through his training bond with Obi-Wan. Taking an apologetic leave from Qui-Gon Anakin left the apartment to go rescue his Padawan.

Anakin Skywalker was a rather imposing figure in the Jedi Temple. He had been the favorite of Qui-Gon Jinn, the great Jedi Master, and there were rumors that he was the Chosen One of the prophecy. His Force sensitivity and skills in piloting and swordsmanship were uncanny. He was not a person that the Padawan's messed with lightly, so it was a bit disturbing when an irate Anakin Skywalker came looming up behind Bruck Chun, that afternoon.

"Padawan Chun," the Knight barked irritably. "Kindly quit manhandling my Padawan."

Bruck nodded to Anakin, and sent Obi-Wan a glare that promised 'I'll finish this later.' Bant was already at Obi-Wan's side, looking at his nose.

"He's such a creep. Are you sure you're okay, Obi?" She questioned.

"Yes, Bant…I'm fine," he murmured, although his voice sounded very weird since he had a hand over his nose. "Thank you, Master. I'm sorry you had to come down here for this."

"It's my job." Anakin brushed it off dispassionately. "Tomorrow, you're learning how to punch." Then, it appeared, was the final word on that. Qui-Gon would have probably reprimanded him on this level too, Anakin noted chewing idly on the inside of his lower lip.

"We should get you to the healers, to make sure your nose isn't broken, Obi." Bant told him.

"I told you, I'm fine; really, just a little blood. It's not like it hasn't happened before, it'll probably happen against too," Obi-Wan replied.

"You're learning to punch really hard," Anakin revised the plan with a sigh, kneeling down by his little apprentice's height and letting one hand hover briefly in front of his nose. He reached through the Force to examine it probably.

"I'm fine, Master," Obi-Wan protested.

"Obi won't use what you teach him, here in the Temple, Master Skywalker," Bant told him. "He's too kind hearted. Master Yoda says he shows great promise in negotiations, though."

"Bant…" Obi-Wan murmured, protested.

"He will," Anakin corrected her, eyeing him oddly. "Or, I'll beat Padawan Chun up myself."

"That would be a sight! I would pay to see that!" Bant laughed.

Snorting dryly, Anakin helped right his apprentice, before straightening himself.

"We're working on your Force telepathy, too," he informed him student.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said. "How will we do that?"

"Practice." He shrugged.

"Alright, Master. Bye, Bant," he said as they walked off. Anakin was silent, on the journey back to their quarters. Once inside, he debated shortly on whether to address the matter further or not.

"He's done that to you before?" He wondered, finally.

"Yes, Master, I've lost count of how many times, not really punching me in the nose but picking on me," Obi-Wan answered

Frowning, Anakin licked his lips carefully. "We'll fix it," he promised.

"Alright, Master. Should I finish my homework first?" He asked.

"Yes." Anakin nodded. He'd go fraternize with Qui-Gon while he did that. "You…you come get me, when you're finished," he instructed.

It didn't really take long for Obi-Wan to finish his homework, and he quietly approached the door with the intent of knocking. But, he heard muffled sobs, and stopped. Poking his head in, he saw Anakin sitting against the wall, his knees pulled up to chest, his arms folded over his knees as he cried into them.

Obi-Wan, hesitated by the door, and then came into the room, and knelt down by him, wrapping his arms around Anakin's shaking shoulders.

The Knight tensed under his touch. He tensed severely. There was one person who had held Anakin, ever, and that had been Qui-Gon. Even Darra had never hugged him. He'd made a point of keeping most people from touching him. When this boy did it…he no longer knew what to think.

Obi-Wan felt him tense, but did not pull away, if anything he held on tighter. It was several more, agonizingly long, minutes before Anakin calmed enough to speak.

"What are you doing, boy?"

"Just being here, Master. I do not know what to say…but I can listen. Bant says I'm very good at that," Obi-Wan answered quietly.

"There's nothing to say…" The blonde choked again. Qui-Gon was dead. That was all there was to it.

"Doesn't really have to be words, Master. Feelings speak just as loudly. I didn't know Master Jinn very well, but I have heard he was a great man."

"He was…fantastic…" Anakin confirmed, trying not to sniff. "The stories…really can't compare at all…"

"Will you tell me about him, Master?" The boy requested. "So that I can know the truth?"

Anakin watched him briefly, before nodding. Wiping the tears away with his sleeve, he began to recount some of Qui-Gon's more spectacular moments to the child. He conveniently forgot to include the full extent of his relationship with the late Master.

"He does sound truly amazing…" Obi-Wan said when he'd finished. "Almost too good to be true, Master."

"And, now he's gone." Anakin snorted humorlessly. "I have no idea what to do now…"

"I cannot tell you, Master, it's not my place," Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin eyed the boy critically, his lips twitching up, despite himself.

"Of course," he murmured finally. "If I'd asked, it would have been foolish to…"

"But, I _am_ here to listen." Young Kenobi's eyes spoke honest volumes.

"Right… Thank you, Padawan." The Knight allowed himself to smile a bit more. Obi-Wan smiled in return and gave him another brief squeeze, before standing.

"Since we both vowed not to touch the stove, should we go down to the mess hall?" He wondered. "It should be pretty empty, by now."

Once again, the boy's words drew hesitation from his Master. But, in the end, Anakin determined that he would have to go around the other Jedi eventually, and nodded in agreement. They could not, after all, live on fruit forever.

"What was it like to train under Master Jinn, Master?" The boy's words startled Anakin out of whatever reverie he'd been in, and here merely blinked for a moment.

"Wonderful," the young man murmured reminiscently, after a moment, rising to his feet with a soft sigh. "Absolutely…wonderful."

"I was actually talking about his teaching methods, Master," Obi-Wan chuckled softly.

"Oh," Anakin coughed awkwardly. "That was a great honor as well."

Obi-Wan nodded, seeming to accept that answer, and they walked down to the mess hall to eat.

Upon arriving, however, all Anakin could find he was capable of was grimacing. It wasn't nearly as empty as he'd hoped. There were still several Masters there, and a good many Knights. (None of which he'd seen since Qui-Gon's death.) He felt his stomach crawl with the cramped space.

"Master? Are you alright?" Obi-Wan questioned, worry evident in his tone.

"Fine," the blonde murmured, nudging the little brunette toward the line gently, with his boot. He could feel the burning sensation of Yoda watching him owlishly, from a nearby table. Escape seemed a good plan.

Obi-Wan got his food and then sat at a table, which was practically deserted in a corner, sensing Anakin didn't particularly want to sit with anyone else. Immensely grateful for this fact, Anakin threw himself down into a chair, next to his student, poking absently at the food on his plate.

"You know, it won't get into your stomach that way, Master," Obi-Wan commented idly.

Anakin glanced up at him, and smiled halfheartedly.

"I've been finding I'm not very hungry, lately," he admitted with a small snort.

"Then eat a little, please?"

The blonde's smile took on a wryer air, and he purposefully shoved a bite into his mouth, chewing slowly for emphasis.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan mumbled.

Shaking his head, in something suspiciously close to amusement, Anakin merely shrugged, and continued to eat the food, wanting to finish before it got cold. Footsteps were drawing nearer, and Obi-Wan looked up to greet Master Mace Windu with a smile.

"Master Windu," he said, bowing his head.

"Greetings, Padawan Kenobi."

Anakin winced a little, upon hearing his apprentice address the Korun Master. Mace…Oh boy, oh boy…the blonde glanced sheepishly up at his Master's friend, waving slightly.

"Hello, Master Windu…" He mumbled his own greeting. He'd never been too comfortable around the imposing Mace Windu. Not intimidated in the least, just uncomfortable.

"Greetings, Anakin, how are you fairing with your new Padawan?"

Recalling that one of the larger warnings about taking Obi-Wan on as his Learner had come from Mace himself, Anakin felt a small surge of defiance, and cocked his head congenially at the dark skinned man.

"Oh, we're doing fine, Master."

"Really? Is that true, Padawan?" Mace questioned, looking back at Obi-Wan.

"Yes, Master Windu. Master Skywalker is helping me perfect my light saber technique, and soon we'll be working on telepathy," Obi-Wan answered emphatically.

"But, tomorrow, we're working on punching," Anakin corrected mildly, taking a sip of his mujaberry juice, to make it appear to be a smaller deal than it actually was. (Jedi were not generally accustomed to having their training interrupted for lessons in slugging.)

It was probably mostly due to that aforementioned fact that Mace turned curious eyes on him, before he blinked, and the look disappeared.

"Do you feel that is important enough to push aside his other studies?" He questioned.

"Yes." Anakin took another calm sip from his glass. "I won't have my Padawan unable to defend himself. There will be times when he won't be able to use his light saber, and he needs to know hot to not break his thumb."

Mace looked like he wanted to argue further, but he didn't get the chance. Yoda hobbled up beside him, effectively ending his conversation with Skywalker.

"Heard of your past times out side of class, I have, young Kenobi," he stated. Obi-Wan blushed and lowered his eyes, in shame.

"I did not see any sense in the matter, Master Yoda, so I did not try to fight back," The child told him, and Yoda nodded slowly.

"A strong mind you have, on your way to becoming a great negotiator you are." Yoda turned his head to look up at Mace, missing the smile that came to Obi-Wan's face. But, he did not need to see, to know it was there. "Other things, we have to do, Master Windu." The other Master nodded, and turned away without even a 'good evening', and left. Yoda bid them goodbye, then followed his cohort away.

Anakin watched his apprentice in silence for a moment, waiting for the Masters to leave and his stomach to settle, before speaking again.

"Pity and temperament will get you nowhere in life," he murmured finally. It was always something he and the rest of the order (Qui-Gon included) had disagreed upon. "Letting people get away with screwing you over is not the same thing as mercy. Don't confuse them, and don't be a doormat to your enemies. They_ will_ walk all over you."

Obi-Wan studied him for a moment, and then nodded. "I will try harder, Master," he promised.

Anakin nodded, offering the boy a wry look that clearly stated that he saw his job as making sure that Obi-Wan didn't get his ass handed to him when he did so, before glancing down at his food again, and setting his fork on the plate. He felt less hungry than ever, somehow. There was a silence between them, for a few more moments, before Obi-Wan broke it.

"Shall we leave, Master?" He questioned.

"Please." His Master nodded with a tired sigh of relief, rising to his feet and trying not to shift uncomfortably. (An act that really was easier in theory than in practice.)

Obi-Wan threw what was left of their meals away, and then followed him out of the door. He sent a glare at the first person that dared to open their mouth, to whisper something about his Master. Although his physical attacks were not yet up to par, Bant had often told him that his tongue-lashings were things to be feared.

Despite his Padawan's mute defense, it was impossible for Anakin to miss all the stares they received, making their way through the mess hall to the corridor again. Sometimes he wondered just how much the Jedi knew of his relationship with Qui-Gon. Was it possible they knew, or suspected, everything? Was it his status as the Chosen One alone that had saved himself and his Master from expulsion? Or, was it simply that they didn't' know at all, and needed something new to gossip about? He didn't know…he wasn't sure he cared…

Once back in their rooms, Obi-Wan shifted on his feet. He had finished his homework before, and now wasn't sure what Anakin wanted to do.

"Alright," Anakin sighed, running his fingers absently through his hair, as he tried to draw his mind together and focus on what to do next. "Your homework's done… you're free for the night, try not to get into any trouble," he decided finally.

"I will do my best, Master." Obi-Wan gave him a smile, turned around quickly and left.

Once alone once more, Anakin growled to himself and quickly gave his head a good shake. It was an attempt to clear it. IT didn't work. If anything, he was then feeling distracted about _why_ he was feeling distracted. Annoyed and utterly frustrated, the young Knight retreated with the hope of finding…something – _anything – _to focus on.

Obi-Wan went down to the training rooms. With almost all the Padawan's doing their homework, it was not hard to find an empty one. He removed his outer cloak, folding it neatly, and sat it by the wall, before he pulled out his light saber. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath, letting the Force flow through him. His thumb pressed the activation button and he began to repeat the moves Anakin had been teaching him the day before.

So, at least a lack of focus wasn't a running theme through the two of them. Even after Obi-Wan returned that night, he would be able to hear his restless Master, through the thin wall that separated their rooms. Anakin was puttering about late into the night. It made Obi-Wan yawn and pull his pillow over his head, to block out the noise.

For a while, the noises settled. But, then about an hour before dawn, a loud curse, crash, and surge of the Force – powerful enough to wake most of their floor, more than likely – burst through their rooms. Moments later, another curse followed, and the sound of pounding feet through the common room. Then, there was silence, eerie, total silence.

Obi-Wan jumped up, gripping his light saber, and ran out into the common room. He wondered if they were being attacked. But, there was no one. Not an intruder, not Anakin. Obi-Wan was alone in the apartment, and the only things missing were his Master's light saber and boots, upon inspection. Obi-Wan scratched his head in confusion.

"What happened?" He wondered, going back into his room to get dressed. Once ready, he concentrated on Anakin's Force signature, in hopes of finding him to ask what was going on.

He located the older man in the hangar, his energy buzzing with agitated turbulence. It was like an overpowered droid, bouncing off the walls. It wasn't too unusual for Anakin in particular, but still a sign for some concern. Obi-Wan stopped a few feet behind him, watching his back cautiously.

"Master?" He asked finally.

One hand twitched briefly, as the blonde jumped a little, before turning back to look at the child. Obi-Wan could see Anakin physically pulling himself together before his eyes.

"What?" The Knight blurted out, grimacing and rephrasing. "What are you doing up? It's…early."

"It is, Master." He nodded. "You…um…left in quite a hurry, and made quite a bit of noise doing so. The Force around you is not exactly calm, either," he explained slowly. Anakin seemed to struggle with his answer, for a few minutes.

"I'm fine," he lied finally. "I just…can't focus. On anything." Growling in frustration, he tugged on the short, fair strands of his hair. "Damn it! I can't focus without him!"

Obi-Wan looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Did Master Jinn give anything to you?" He asked, hoping to be helpful. "Something that…well, you consider special and you can use to focus yourself through?"

"A rock," the Knight supplied instantly, his tone slightly bitter and muffled by the heel of his hand. (Which he was currently pressing against his mouth.) "He gave me a rock."

"Use that then," Obi-Wan suggested quickly. "It may have, or have not, been special to him, bit it's special to you. It reminds you of him, of his presence. Use it to focus on the Force, Master."

Anakin offered him a somewhat dry look, before nodding, sighing, and tugging his knees up, to rest his face in them.

"I think my brain's frying," he grumbled finally, mostly to himself. Obi-Wan frowned, and came to sit beside him.

"That's quite possible, Master, if you allow it to happen."

Snorting, Anakin forced his gaze to peek out at the child before him

"You're smarter than I'd have expected, for your age," he complimented finally. Obi-Wan gave him a smile.

"Thank you, Master."

"Yoda's right," the blonde yawned, stretching out on his back, on the dirty floor. He paid a nearby puddle of oil no mind. He was used to such things. "You'll make a good diplomat."

"Is that a good thing, Master?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"I guess so," the Knight shrugged a bit. "I'm not a diplomat at all, so you're one up on me."

"Was Master Jinn a diplomat?"

"His negotiation skills were second only to Yoda, by the end."

Obi-Wan blinked at him, definitely surprised.

"I wish I could have known him more than just by the stories," he admitted with a sigh.

"Knowing Qui-Gon Jinn was like…" Anakin trailed off thoughtfully. Knowing Qui-Gon was like bedding peace. He couldn't say that to his nine-year-old Padawan, though… "Like wrapping yourself up in absolute serenity." He settled for finally. "Being with him…I felt like time stopped… Every moment was absolutely perfect – even the ones that sucked." Then, he'd died, and time had started again.

Obi-Wan stared at a point on the wall, before voicing the question that had formed after Anakin had said that.

"Will…will things ever be like that between us, Master?" He wondered softly.

"Force, I hope not," Anakin laughed, reaching over to ruffle his hair, with a false sense of calm. "I wouldn't want to put you through that!"

Obi-Wan chuckled softly, and smiled at him. "I guess I should be thankful for that, then."

"Anything more would be a lie." Anakin shrugged a little more, rising to his feet and trying to still his hands. "Do you want to get started on training early, or try to get some more sleep?" It was still dark out.

"Training, Master," Obi-Wan answered, standing as well. "I don't think I could go back to sleep, even if I tried."

Anakin nodded and motioned for him to follow. This was good. They'd have plenty of time, at this hour of the morning. Obi-Wan followed him to the training rooms, and then took off his outer cloak. He folded it and laid it against the wall. He walked to the middle of the floor, and waited for Anakin. Alone in the training rooms, Anakin demonstrated the proper way to make a fist, and how to actually swing the punch.

"Keep your elbow lax," he instructed. "Don't snap it taut. It lowers your chances of breaking your wrist, if you do it this way, and raises the effectiveness of the blow."

Obi-Wan copied him, although he was slow to do so. He didn't like fighting and he never had, actually.

"Good," Anakin nodded, crouching down in front of him, and holding one hand out. "Practice," he commanded, nodding down to his palm. Obi-Wan watched him for a moment, unsure. But, at the look in Anakin's eyes, he sighed and threw a punch at Anakin's hand.

"Harder!" The blonde barked, when the punch barely made contact. "You couldn't scare a rabbit like that."

Obi-Wan looked like he wanted to laugh at that, but he pulled his arm back and threw another punch, harder this time.

"_Focus, Anakin." Qui-Gon's gentle voice cut through his wandering mind's reverie. The little boy looked up at him with pouty eyes, and poutier lips._

"_It's hard!" He complained, looking imploring. "C'mon, Master. I don't like sitting still. Do we have to meditate _every _day?"_

"_When you learn to control your mind, we can do it less often." Qui-Gon looked amused. "Until then, relax, and just focus on the—"_

Anakin blinked, when his apprentice's fist made contact with his hand. Pulling back to himself, he glanced down and realized his palm stung.

"Better," he murmured after a moment. "Do it again."

Obi-Wan repeated the action over and over, until Anakin told him to stop. Shaking his now throbbing hand to loosen up the muscles, Anakin nodded shortly at the boy.

"Good," he mumbled. "Get out your light saber, and go through those drills again, now."

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan pulled the saber out, and activated it, to go through the movements that Anakin had been teaching him. Per usual, when Ani felt new energies drawing near, the Knight issued the command to half.

"You did well today," the blonde complimented him gently. "Next time Chun touches you, I want you to hit back. Harder. Understand?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master… Although, I still don't like it."

"It's not fair for him to take advantage of you." Anakin shrugged. "I won't always be able to help you. It's important that you know how to protect yourself."

Obi-Wan nodded, as he slipped his robe on.

"I will see you after class, Master?"

"I'll be at home," Anakin confirmed with another nod. He was always at home. Qui-Gon really would smack him, over that, were he able to…

Obi-Wan nodded, although there was a worried look in his eyes, as he walked away from the room.

That afternoon, when he returned, Obi-Wan announced his arrival to Anakin. Though, he technically didn't need to, since Ani could supposedly sense his presence. He received no reply, though. Anakin was quite obviously there, but he appeared to have not noticed the boy's entrance, or proclamation. Obi-Wan drew nearer to his Master's door, and he could hear soft whispering from within.

The Padawan _knew_ it was wrong to eavesdrop. But…he was curious…who was his Master talking to? Quietly, he came to the door, and stopped before he could be seen, listening to the voice within.

"It's hard, you know." Anakin was saying, speaking to apparently no one. Perhaps he had a com-link on… "It's hard to focus. To concentrate. I can't concentrate on anything." He chuckled thinly. "Not even flying or droids."

'_Who is he talking to?'_ Obi-Wan wondered to himself.

"I mean," Anakin continued. "What's the point of training the kid, if I'm going to do a lousy job of it? It was funny…he didn't know how to punch, Qui! It's going to take a lot of work, and I don't think…that I can do it properly, without being able to concentrate."

'_Qui? Does he mean Master Jinn?'_ Obi-Wan thought. He wanted to go in and tell Anakin that he was wrong, and he was a great teacher, but then he would have to explain his eavesdropping. With a soft sigh, he turned away and went to the common room, to work on his homework.

Anakin didn't exit his room again for several hours, and all through that time the murmurs had continued. Apparently, his invisible guest had given the Knight a bit of a pep talk, however, for he seemed to be in the best mood that Obi-Wan had seen him in, since their return from Naboo.

"Good evening, Master," Obi-Wan greeted him, when such a time as he deemed worthy of appearance came.

"Hi." The blonde nodded back at him, eyeing the stove critically, as if trying to decide whether he had enough courage to actually touch it or not. Obi-Wan saw his look, and stood.

"Perhaps we should go out, Master?" He suggested quickly. "The Temple's food is really good, but…it _does_ get a little old, after a while."

"Didi," was the only thing Anakin said as he nodded, and hurried to grab his cloak.

The word didn't make much sense, until they were actually at the slum were Didi Oddo's café was placed. Anakin smiled as he noticed the traces of Qui-Gon's friend and his daughter, Astri. Things such as a touch of fresh paint, here or there, and a crowd consisting of the lowest scumbags in the galaxy mixed with some highly ranked Senators, inside. Upon entering, Anakin saw a round man, making his way through the crowded diner, and smiled. Didi was an information merchant, on the side. It appeared he hadn't changed much, Anakin felt it somewhat relieving. At least _something _was still stable in his life. Obi-Wan stayed close to his side, watching the less than favorable members of the crowd warily.

"Didi!" Anakin called, his grin widening still more when the man turned, and his face lit up.

Didi Oddo embraced Anakin tightly, drawing a teasing grunt from the younger man. Anakin returned the hug wholeheartedly, though.

"Little Anakin Skywalker!" Didi released Anakin, and motioned for them to follow him. He led them back to a cluttered office, and gestured to chairs for them to sit in. "So happy I am to see your person so well! So much sorrow I did feel, when I heard of Qui-Gon's unfortunate accident with the Naboo Queen! My heart ached for him, Anakin."

Anakin's expression hardened briefly, but he merely nodded and smiled gently at Didi. "As did mine, old friend."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile at the human; he certainly had a warm personality, after all.

"You are doing well?" Didi wanted to make sure, looking Anakin over with concern. "I cannot imagine you would be, knowing how much you—"

"Didi." Anakin cut in sharply, though his gaze was apologetic.

"Of course…" Didi returned his look meaningfully. "But, look how thin your person is!" The information trafficker tutted seriously. "Astri will feed you, before you go. You and your young friend, um…" Didi trailed off, looking Obi-Wan over curiously.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Anakin supplied simply. "My Padawan," he added, earning a delighted look from Qui-Gon's old friend. "Obi-Wan, this is Didi Oddo. He's a great friend of the Jedi, Qui-Gon in particular." Obi-Wan gave Didi a bright smile, and shook his hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir," he said.

"Sir, sir!" Didi exclaimed. "Listen to this one! Never you did call me sir, Anakin."

"I was far too busy agreeing with Astri on how much I disapproved of your sidelines, Didi." Anakin snorted at him. "How is she, anyway? She's still working here?"

"Oh, yes." Didi nodded. "She's gotten a Senator to take a shine to her, too. Big Divinian, I believe."

"Astri is aspiring to be a politician's wife?" Anakin raised an eyebrow, with a small sniff of personal disapproval. Didi shrugged helplessly, clearly stating that he could no more tell his daughter who she could date than give Chancellor Palpatine a leg wax.

"People actually have that job?" Obi-Wan wondered, looking at Anakin.

"It's not so much a job as a…status." Anakin struggled to explain. Luckily, Didi helped him out, by shooing them back toward the dining room.

"Come, come!" He urged. "Astri has made a wonderful sauce today! So sure am I that your persons will enjoy it!"

Obi-Wan followed Anakin to a booth, and sat on the inside. Plates were soon brought and sat in front of them. After taking a bite, Anakin grinned at Didi and instructed him to give Astri many, many compliments. Didi promised he would, before hurrying off to tend to some drunks in the opposite corner.

"This place is very lively, I can see why people would like it so much." Obi-Wan took a bite of his food, and after swallowing he smiled. "And, the food isn't bad either."

"It used to be," Anakin promised him, taking a bite of his own food. "Before Astri took over. The first thing Qui-Gon told me to do was not eat anything."

"Master Jinn had a very colorful group of friends, didn't he?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Didi's friends with everyone." The blonde shrugged a little. "Even Yoda."

"Wow…" Obi-Wan murmured, and went back to his food.

After they finished the meal, Anakin made nice with Didi and Astri for a few more minutes, before they left the diner again. Anakin's mood was almost unnervingly bright, on the way back to the Temple. Then they actually made it back to their rooms, and he almost instantly darkened again.

Obi-Wan bit his lip, watching his Master's mood darken. Maybe he could do something…something that would take his mind off of whatever was bothering him now. He wracked his brain for something – anything. They had a couple of games here in the apartment…maybe that would do.

"Master, would you like to play a card game, or something?" He asked.

Anakin merely shook his head a little, already heading for his room

"Maybe tomorrow, if you finish your work early," he conditioned quietly, before shutting the door behind himself. Obi-Wan's shoulders fell in disappointment.

"Yes, Master," he whispered. Looking around, he sighed. What to do now? He could always go over his reports again, but that was so boring. Maybe he'd go find Bant, and they could have a practice duel… Yes, that seemed like a good idea. With one last look toward Anakin's door, he left, leaving a note for him.

When he came back, Anakin's door was at least open. Despite this, he still didn't seem to notice when Obi-Wan returned. Once again, he was speaking with someone, only this time Obi-Wan had a clear view that he was the only one in the room. The brief thought that his Master might be mad – as in crazy – crossed his mind, but only for a moment. Surely if Anakin were talking to someone, he had a reason…right? He knocked softly, on the doorframe.

"Master?"

If he didn't know any better, he'd say Anakin hadn't heard him. He certainly didn't seem to. The young man was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Perhaps, this time, he really did have a com-link, nearby… His next words, however, totally crushed that excuse.

"Didi said he's sorry, Qui," he murmured, stretching slightly, as though someone were touching him in a rather conducive manner. "He's going to miss you."

'_Master Jinn?'_ Obi-Wan thought and he felt out through the Force. It was not entirely unheard of for a deceased person to speak with someone they cared about through the Force, merely unusual. But…there was nobody there. Anakin was speaking with no one.

"Astri too," Ani continued, sitting up and leaning forward, as though he was nuzzling against something…or someone, "and, well…you know how I miss you. I wish you could be here with me all the time…" The blonde balanced himself on one hand and his knees, as he reached the other one up to run it through the air, like one might caress a lover's hair. Obi-Wan watched with fascination, and curiosity, as Anakin looked like he was leaning up to kiss…wait, kiss? Quickly, he backed up a few steps, pressing himself against the wall. His thoughts were racing.

Was Anakin… Had he and Master Jinn…the rumors that he'd heard so much about…were they true?

"I miss you so much, Qui," Anakin repeated, pausing as though he were listening, then he sat back and looked adoringly forward. "I miss you touching me…" He breathed, reaching longingly toward the spot of his attention. "I want to feel you again…I feel like I'm looking at you through glass! I can see you, but I can never really touch you. You're _never really mine_. I miss the way things were…everything's so…so wrong…"

Obi-Wan turned his head back toward the room. Well…that dispelled any doubts he had… So, that was why Anakin was so affected by Qui-Gon's passing…they had been more than just Master and Apprentice, but lovers as well. Silently, he went into his room and sat on the bed. He wanted to ask Anakin about this, but would that be proper? Did he have the right to do that?

By the time he came back out of his room again, Anakin had fallen silent and retreated into the kitchen, where he now sat at the table and nursed a glass of some ominous blue liquid. Obi-Wan got a glass of water and sat down across from him. There was a very awkward few moments between them, before Obi-Wan cleared his throat. He was dying to question Anakin but how to do it, without being rude? Dull eyes brightened ever so slightly, as they flickered up to him. Anakin made a soft "hmmm?" noise, wandering what he wanted.

"Uh…um…Master…oh, Force, this is weird…" Obi-Wan took a deep breath, and then asked his question very quickly. "Whatwasmasterjinntoyou?"

Already tipsy from his potent drink, Anakin raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Huh?"

Obi-Wan bit his bottom lip, and then sighed.

"I…uh…I heard you talking today, and I was wondering…what was Master Jinn to you, exactly?" He looked up at Anakin, but then he quickly lowered his gaze again, blushing furiously.

"You…heard…?" Anakin groaned, and let his head fall to the table with a muffled "fuck". After giving himself a moment to pull back together, he sat back up and set about finding a good way to explain this. If he'd heard, there was no point in lying, really… "He was…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say. "Everything." The blonde settled on finally. Friend, lover, father, brother, mentor, teacher, security source… "Everything!"

"Okay," Obi-Wan gave him a smile and stood to rinse his glass, in the sink. He dried it and then put it away. "Thank you for telling me, Master."

Waving his thanks off, Anakin chewed idly on his lower lip for a moment, before issuing his request.

"Obi-Wan…you can't tell anyone, alright?" He murmured finally. "This is my home…I really can't afford to be kicked out, right now."

Obi-Wan blinked at him in surprise.

"I would _never_ tell anyone, Master," Obi-Wan promised him. "It's none of their business what you do in your own time. But, if you really are worried, you could order me to never tell, and then I would have no choice but to follow your order."

"I don't want to order you around." Anakin drained the rest of his glass, and stood abruptly. As he made his way toward the door, he tossed over his shoulder, "Qui-Gon wouldn't have."

Obi-Wan nodded, and followed him out of the kitchen. "I won't, Master. As I said, it's your business and yours alone. Goodnight," he said, going into his room.

Nodding mutely, Anakin went into his own room, and crawled into bed, fully dressed. He could so very nearly feel warm arms wrapping around his shoulder. It drew a soft smile from him. For the first time, in so many months, Anakin Skywalker slept soundly.


	6. Swamped

Chapter Six

_When you're tied to feelings  
__When you're tied to feelings  
__When you're tied to feelings  
__When you're tied to feelings  
__Uh huh  
__Destiny,  
__Flying high above  
__All I know is that you can't realize  
__Destiny, who cares?  
As it turns around  
__And I know that it descends down on me  
__It's just another day  
__The shame is gone  
__Try to believe they will not let it go  
__Let it go  
__Let it go  
__It's just a melody  
__That plays in me  
__Try to believe they will not let it go  
_Swamped (Lacuna Coil, Comalies)

There were several hours after that where Obi-Wan could hear his Master's cries of agony through the walls. Then, they just stopped. Upon investigation, he found Anakin laying on his bed, fingering a smooth river stone, his energy too spent to cry any longer. Obi-Wan approached the bed slowly.

"Master?" He questioned quietly.

"Yes?" Anakin started, snapping out of his reverie to look over his shoulder at the boy, quickly rubbing at the tear tracks, trying to make them less obvious. (As though Obi-Wan hadn't heard him.)

"Are you okay? Or, well…maybe 'okay' isn't the right word…'better' might fit more…" Anakin's crying had seriously unnerved him. He wanted his Master to be happy…more than anything else.

"I will be." He shrugged a little, summoning the energy to sit up, as though that would prove it. "I have to be." It wasn't a choice, at this point. He'd reached a climax of his misery, where he either got better or killed himself. He had to train Obi-Wan for Qui-Gon, so there he was.

Obi-Wan looked a bit unsure of what to say or do then. He shifted on his feet for a moment, before coming up and hugging the older man.

"It'll be okay, Master…it really will," he whispered.

Anakin smiled sadly, and hugged the boy back. He rested his chin on top of the child's fuzzy head.

"It has to be," he repeated softly. "What else do we possibly have, if it isn't okay?"

"I don't know. Each other, I suppose, Master."

"Well, that's something," the blonde snorted darkly, giving the boy another brief squeeze, before loosening his hold. He didn't quite release him. Obi-Wan didn't let go at all, though. His Master needed someone right now, and there was only him. Since that was the case, then by the Force, he was not going to leave him alone.

Eventually, the hours of crying caught up to him, and Anakin slid down into a lying position. It wasn't long before he fell asleep, Obi-Wan still held him close, even after he felt Anakin fall asleep. He sighed into the fabric of his Master's tunic, and slowly let his eyes slide closed. He felt warm here…needed…and, maybe even loved. His breathing soon became soft with sleep.

It was the next morning, when Anakin woke up again. He was a little surprised when he opened his eyes to a face full of shortly cut brown hair, too. Sitting up slowly, careful not to disturb the boy. Anakin eyed his apprentice for a moment. He hadn't expected Obi-Wan to still be there with him, it was rather pleasant that he was. The child shifted, curling up to his side. He relaxed then, though, and slept on.

Smiling gently, Anakin pulled the blanket over the boy, and crept out of bed. By the time Obi-Wan woke up, his Master was back at his side, looking over a datapad document, drinking tea from a mug. Obi-Wan yawned as he rubbed the sleepy crust from his eyes. He watched Anakin read the document for a long time, before he spoke. But, even then, he was quiet.

"Good morning, Master."

Anakin glanced at him, and grinned, nodding.

"Sleepyhead," he greeted teasingly. Obi-Wan smiled back.

"What time is it?" He asked.

Glancing at the little clock on the table, Anakin read the time off to him. It was past their usual breakfast time, and late enough for the Knights and Padawan's to be finished meditating. Anakin had no doubt that all the private training studios would be full. Obi-Wan was quiet for a few minutes, and then looked up at him. He turned onto his back.

"Should we work on telepathy, Master?" He offered. "We wouldn't have to leave the apartment, for that."

Offering the lad a grateful look, Anakin nodded and set the data-pad and tea down. Folding himself up into a position more conducive to meditation, he motioned for Obi-Wan to do the same. Obi-Wan sat up and copied his movements.

A little over an hour later, Anakin gave a signal to stop. It was time for Obi-Wan to get to class, after all.

"Try to tone down the hitting, for a while," he advised, walking his apprentice to the door. "Keep your head low, with Padawan Chun, until yesterday can blow over." Obi-Wan gave him another smile, and nodded.

"Yes, Master."

Once Obi-Wan was gone from the room, Anakin paced around for a few minutes, before grabbing his cloak and scurrying from the rooms. Yoda should be finished teaching his general form classes to the younglings, by now…Anakin felt a stab of guilt, for avoiding the Jedi who had been such a mentor to Qui-Gon, for so long…

The old Master was just finishing saying goodbye to the last of the younglings, when he felt Anakin approach. He greeted the Knight with as much of a smile as he had ever seen from the little troll.

"Pleased to see you, I am, young Skywalker," he said.

"Hello, Master." Anakin nodded to him. Masters rarely got missions during the first couple of years of their Padawan's training; it hadn't been particularly hard to avoid the Council members, most of the time. "It has been far too long, I apologize for that."

"Understood your reasons are. Sit, will you, and speak?"

"Yes, Master," Anakin agreed, following Yoda to his nearby private quarters. He took a seat on a meditation dais. Yoda looked at him calmly and waited for him to speak.

"I…" Anakin started jerkily, after several painfully long minutes of silence. "I need to know… How do you let go of the only person you've ever really had?" If anyone would know how to let Qui-Gon go, it would be Yoda. Plus, Anakin mused, if he played his cards right, he could get his answers without letting him know everything. Yoda hmmed, and closed his eyes in thought.

"Let go of his memory, you wish, so move on you can?"

"I don't want to forget him," Anakin struggled to explain. "I just…need to be able to _exist_ without him… I can't have him back, so I need to be able to let him go."

"An obligation you have, but more than that this is," Yoda told him finally. "It is the 'more' that you must discover for yourself."

There went Yoda with his riddles, again… Anakin let out an exasperated sigh, and tried to stay calm. It would not do to criticize the wisest Jedi in the Order's advice.

"Yes, Master," he agreed finally.

"Aside from these matters, working out for you now, things are, young Skywalker?" Yoda wanted to know.

"For the most part," Anakin nodded slowly. The rumor mill had settled out a bit, over the past two years. He was brave enough to venture from his room more often…and, Obi-wan had obviously gotten over his getting beaten up, thing…

Yoda nodded.

"Maturing your young Padawan is. Very strong in the Force, he is becoming."

"It's most impressive," Anakin agreed with a small, wistful smile.

"Worried, many of the Council members were, when you took him as your Padawan," Yoda reminded him. "Pleased to see you have proved them wrong, I am."

"Them?" Anakin echoed, raising an eyebrow. "I remember that." He nodded, running his fingers through his hair. "You were among that count, if I remember correctly."

"Worried I was," Yoda replied. "But, also that you would do a good job, I knew."

"Dunno about that," Anakin snorted sardonically. "Not half the job Qui-Gon would have done with him."

"Compare yourself to your Master, you should not, young Skywalker," Yoda reprimanded him. "Feel I do not that young Kenobi would have flourished under Master Qui-Gon's teachings."

"If I could flourish under Qui-Gon, anyone can."

"Perhaps, but change my mind, you will not," Yoda told him emphatically.

"I know better than to try." Anakin shook his head in very mild amusement. "He came to me, you know." He chose to share at last. "Qui-Gon did. He came to me through the Force, yesterday."

Yoda's wise eyes met him.

"Felt him, I did. Of help to you, was he?" He wondered curiously. There was very little that happened in the Force that Master Yoda did not feel.

"Sooooort of…" The Knight drew the word out uncomfortably. Had it been good to see Qui-Gon again? Absolutely. Had he actually made Anakin feel any better? Not really, no…

"Mixed feelings, you have, young Skywalker."

"I miss him…" Anakin confessed, resting his face in his hands. He knew fell well what dangerous waters this conversation was treading into. "I feel…constantly lost, without his guidance. Knowing that he came, just to leave again, hurt!"

"That is what memories are for, Anakin." Yoda nodded, his ears twitching sympathetically. He could feel the still immense sorrow and mourning that this young man felt… Many of the Order did.

"But, it's not the same!" How many times would he have to say this, before people believe him? "He's not really there! It's like being trapped in a cage! You can see what you want, and almost touch it, but it's never really in your grasp! No matter how many memories I have of him, I can never _really have him_ again!" He'd stood, at some point during his passionate little speech. It was only then that Anakin realized he'd been yelling. Forcing himself to calm again, he concluded in a somewhat softer tone. "I know attachment this deep goes against the code…but I wasn't ready to lose him yet, Master. Not like that. Never like that…"

"A test this is," Yoda told him calmly, unruffled by his outburst. "One you must, _and will_, overcome. Difficult the journey may be, but strong you are. Succeed you will."

Still unsure, but also unwilling to admit that, Anakin merely nodded mutely, and bowed to take his leave. He turned to the door, berating himself on how he should have known better than to come to Yoda. These were feelings no good Jedi would ever suffer, or could ever truly understand. As soon as he exited the room, it was like stepping into a different universe. His darkness was shoved aside in lieu of the laughter that greeted his ears, and the pounding of footsteps.

"Heads up, Master!" A familiar voice called, as an air disc flew toward him.

Holding up a deft hand, Anakin caught the disc, and turned to see who had called him, with the intention of offering the toy back. Obi-Wan smiled, jogging up.

"Hello, Master."

"Classes out already?" He wondered, tossing the disc back to his student. Had he really been with Yoda _that_ long?

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan answered, catching the disc and throwing it back to Bant.

"No problems with Bruck today?"

"No, Master. I haven't seen him today," Obi-Wan told him, looking as though he was fighting the uncanny urge to giggle. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's avoiding me."

"Imagine that." Anakin smirked at him. "Avoiding you, after you broke his nose." At least Chun wasn't bullying his Padawan any longer.

Obi-Wan just smiled, and turned. He jumped up to catch the disc again, then turned back to Anakin.

"Would you like to play, Master?"

Raising a quizzical eyebrow, Anakin looked at him thoughtfully. Yoda and Qui-Gon's advice both echoed through his mind. He needed to…move on. Any bonding with his Padawan at all had to help that endeavor, right? But…did bonding really have to involved organized game play? Eventually, after much deliberation, he nodded in acceptance. He'd survive it…once. Besides, the bright look on Obi-Wan's face, as he tossed the disc to him before sprinting away, made it all worth it.

"Over here, Knight Skywalker!" Bant called.

Sighing, with a relative amount of good humor, Anakin tossed the disc back to the young Mon Calamari. After about half an hour of further play and travel, the blonde placed a hand atop Obi-Wan's head.

"Ready to head home?" He wondered, in as polite a tone as he could muster. Obi-Wan panted lightly, from the exertion of running and jumping to catch the disc. He nodded.

"If you are, Master," he answered, and waved goodbye to Bant and the other children that had joined in on their play.

Leading the way back to their quarters in the Temple dorms, Anakin was silent. His thoughts were not quite so much.

"Thank you," he murmured, once they were secure behind a closed door again. "Thank you for helping me. Thank you for finding him, I know it was you." Licking his lips, the Knight tried to sort through his thoughts enough to finish. Such salutations felt alien on his tongue. "I'm going to try harder. I'm going to be a Master who actually _deserves _to have you for a Padawan."

"As far as I know, you were doing fine before, Master," Obi-Wan told him.

"It wasn't fine," Anakin promised him, moving without warning toward his room. Habit was setting in, to cover his nerves. "It was childish of me to pout. Qui-Gon wouldn't have, had he been in my position." Then, a thick sheet of durasteel that made up the door to his bedroom separated them, effectively ending any conversation.

Obi-Wan stared at the door for a moment, and then shook his head, going into his own room. He flopped down onto his bed, placing his hands behind his head, as he stared up at the ceiling.

'_You must have been really something, Master Jinn, for Master to doubt himself so much.'_ He thought.


	7. Understanding In A Car Crash

Chapter Seven

_Staring at the setting sun  
__No reason to come back again  
__The twilight world  
__In blue and white  
__The needle and the damage done  
__I don't want to feel this way forever  
_Understanding In A Car Crash (Thursday, Full Collapse)

Two years later, roughly a week before (what Anakin hoped was) Obi-Wan's thirteenth birthday, the Master-Padawan pair were given their first mission. Anakin felt a cool calm seep through his veins at the prospect of finally, after so long, escaping the stares – those never tiring stares, who couldn't seem to wear their welcome any thinner – and travel to some far away planet, where he'd finally be in his true element again: far, far away from the bookish world of supposed calm, within the Temple's smothering walls, and off for flight and battle. He could feel nervousness and excitement flowing across his and Obi-Wan's bond, but his Padawan's face was a mask of pure calmness.

"Thank you, Masters." The elder of the two bowed, not bothering to hide his relief with the assignment. He'd always been one to wear his emotions on his sleeve. It was a trait Qui-Gon had both adored and detested.

Obi-Wan stared out the window of the ship. He looked back over his shoulder at Anakin, as the planet they would be landing on came into view.

"What was your first mission with Master Jinn like?" He asked.

"Disastrous," Anakin openly admitted, grinning loosely. "Have you ever been captured as a prisoner of war, sent to a medical lab, and then been drugged and brainwashed, Padawan?"

Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head.

"No, Master, I cannot say I've had that…privilege," he replied.

"It's quite enjoyable, actually, until the drugs wear off," the blonde confessed, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Being completely void of emotions was slightly…euphoric. Really irritating, once they're back though. Course…that unpleasantness might have been due, at least in part, to the gundarks and STAPs that were trying to kill us…"

"That sounds like…so much fun, Master…I'm sorry I asked."

Chuckling slightly, Anakin waved it off.

"That one was nothing," he admitted, eyebrows knitting together slightly. "There was that one, with the toxic gas…and the one with the bounty hungers…and the crime lords… That one where we got on the bad side of a whole crime family… The one where Siri had to wear that dress…that was kind of fun…until they started shooting each other…"

"Okay…okay! You can stop now! I get the idea…and if I don't, I definitely have something to look forward to," Obi-Wan murmured, waving his hands to make him stop.

Snickering without bar now, Anakin shook his head in amusement. Sometimes, he wondered if the slaughter hadn't been worth it, just to see tight ass Siri Tachi in that slutty dress of Valadon's. On those occasions, he'd quickly scold himself shortly thereafter.

"Such is the life of a Jedi," he whistled innocently. Qui-Gon had teased him about having to don fruity clothes of the gang leader, Slam, for weeks, after that mission. He still had nightmares about bright red boots and plush purple cloaks.

After the mission, on their way back to the Temple

Obi-Wan sat in the co-pilot's chair, his hand placed over his mouth in a contemplative gesture. He was slouched and almost looked asleep, if only his eyes hadn't been open, and staring sightlessly out the glass into space.

He had hoped that Anakin's stories had been just that. Stories. Sure, somewhere in his mind, he knew they were true, but he didn't want to believe that. Now, from experience, he knew. He'd learned something about his Master, on this mission. Anakin Skywalker was, out of all his magnificent talents, not a negotiator in the least. The angry look on the natives' faces was permanently burned into his retinas, Obi-Wan decided with a silent sigh.

"That…could have gone better…" Anakin declared finally, wincing slightly from his own seat at the controls.

Obi-Wan's eyes flickered over to him for a moment, and then back to the blackness of space.

"I think you should let me do the talking from now on, Master… Hopefully, our next mission won't end so badly, if we do it that way."

Snorting wryly, Anakin quirked an eyebrow, and shrugged. "You're the future diplomat," he murmured lightly.

Obi-Wan gave him a brief smile

"What will the Council say, Master?" He asked.

"Oh, I'll probably get chewed out for fucking up…again…" A light flush tinted the Knight's cheeks, as he considering being the butt of Mace Windu's lecture for yet another time.

"Something you're used to, Master?" Obi-Wan questioned, a slight chuckle in his voice. He brought his knees up to his chest, and crossed his arms in front of them, as he turned his chair to face Anakin.

"Fairly." The blonde shrugged. "Qui-Gon taught me some rather…unorthodox methods of completing missions that most of the Council don't…appreciate, I suppose you could say. One thing leads to another."

Obi-Wan laughed softly and tilted his head, so that it was supported by one of his arms. They settled back into a comfortable, but still awkward, silence, but Anakin knew Obi-Wan was watching him. In a desperate attempt to break the awkward silence settling between them, Anakin pulled a topic right out of the air, (though some might argue that he pulled it out of his ass.)

"So…when's your birthday?" He wondered after a moment.

Obi-Wan blinked in confusion at the random question he had just been asked, and then thought it through.

"Oh…it was two days ago."

Blanching slightly, Anakin offered him an odd little look.

"Oh…" He mumbled, fishing uncomfortably in his pockets for some sort of present. He'd received a similar encounter with Qui-Gon, on his own thirteenth birthday. He didn't want to put his Padawan in such a position; but after a moment, all he could retrieve from his tunic was the very same rock that his Master had once given to him. Contemplating the river stone for a moment, Anakin decided that this was what Qui-Gon would have wanted, and held the smooth thing out to Obi-Wan mutely.

The child stared at the rock for a moment, then reached out and took it. He turned it over and studied the texture and swirls of color. It was a very pretty rock, but he held it back out to Anakin.

"That's a very nice rock, Master. Isn't it the same one you were talking about, that one morning, that Master Jinn gave to you?"

"Yes," the blonde replied crisply. "It's Force sensitive. It's yours now."

"Mine, Master? No…I couldn't. Master Jinn gave it to you, and I know how much that means to you," Obi-Wan replied, shaking his head.

"You can," Anakin corrected darkly. "You will. I am your Master, and you _will_ take the damn rock."

Obi-Wan pulled his hand and the rock back, and smiled down at it. Sure, every Padawan was supposed to get something amazing for their birthday, and now he and Anakin had both gotten rocks; the very same rock, in fact. But, it was enough, because it meant something special to his Master.

"Thank you, Master I will take _very_ good care of it."

"You'd better," the Knight grumbled, somewhere between loathing and amusement. "I'll have your head, if you lose it." This part, he wasn't entirely serious about.

Obi-Wan nodded and placed the rock in his pocket. He didn't know if Anakin would actually go through with his threat, but he wasn't about to see if he would.

Anakin was silent for the rest of the trip, and the short journey to the Council's chambers. He wasn't looking forward to what Mace Windu had to say about his less than exemplary performance in foreign dialects…

After their meeting with the Council, back at their apartment

Obi-Wan sighed as he fell into his bed. Finally, they would be able to get some restful nights' sleep. Of course, now that his mind was going still, with nothing around him, previous events started to surface once again. Memories of this first failed mission came quickly, with sleep. He tossed and turned, as the night wore on, his dreams never granting him a reprieve. Some of the things he saw, especially the final one, had never happened…but it definitely felt like it had.

_Obi-Wan took a step back, shaking his head._

"_You can't mean that, Master…" He murmured. Anakin merely glared at him, coldly._

"_I renounce you as my Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was a mistake for me to ever agree to teach you in the first place. You are worthless, and have no talent or hope of being a Jedi. You are a waste of my time. You will never be half the Jedi my Master or I was. Now, get out of my sight," Anakin told him, turning away._

Obi-Wan sat up gasping, his eyes wide and his hands gripping the sheets of his bed in tight fists. No…Anakin would not leave him…he wasn't worthless…was he? Anakin would not…was he even still there, in their quarters, now?

Obi-Wan threw his covers back and quickly, but quietly, he went to Anakin's door. The door slid silently open, and he came across the floor, to the bed. He had to blink, before his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he could see Anakin's form lying there. He raised shaking fingers up to touch Anakin, to see if he was actually real, but then he pulled away. What if his mind was just playing games with him, and the dream _had_ been a memory? A slight whimper escaped his lips, and the slight sound met Anakin's Force-sensitive ears, causing the blonde Knight to sit up quickly. Immediately on guard, his eyes graced through the darkness, one hand retreating under his pillow to retrieve his light saber. As the blade ignited from the hilt, casting a pale blue glow through the room, the man's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"What the…?" He mumbled groggily, his mind still fogged from sleep.

Obi-Wan squeaked, and went to take a step back. He tripped over his feet, and landed hard on the floor.

"I…I-I'm sorry, Master…I didn't mean to wake you…" He whispered, tears coming to his eyes again.

The knowledge that his nighttime visitor was not, in fact, a threat worked its way through Ani's clouded mind at last, and he flipped his saber back off again. What the fuck was Obi-Wan doing in his bedroom at such an unholy hour as this?

"What do you need?" He wondered finally, rubbing the heel of one hand across his eyes, in a valiant attempt to make them focus. Small white dots danced across his vision, resulting from the pressure.

"I-I was just making sure you were still here…I dreamt that you renounced me as your Padawan. I know that we didn't work well together, on this mission, Master, but I will get better! I will train _really_ hard, night and day, if I must! Just, please don't leave me…" He replied, his voice getting higher with growing hysteria the longer he went on.

The confusion in Anakin's eyes deepened, as he raised the blue spheres back to lock on Obi-Wan's shaded form.

"Leave you?" He echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Why would I…? You're the last thing he gave to me… the last piece of my Master that I have left… why would I leave you?" Tact was overrated, the Knight decided grumpily, as was the notion of hypocrisy. If not, he was certainly the biggest hypocrite in the galaxy…

Obi-Wan let out a stifled cry, and scrambled to his feet, throwing his arms around Anakin's neck as his tears fell.

"I'm sorry he made you promise! That you didn't get a true chance to be a Knight! But, I will do all I can to make it up to you. I swear I will!"

Silently, Anakin buried his face into the boy's neck, for a moment, before shifting on the mattress, and pulling his Padawan into the bed with him, at the same time.

"Alright, kid," he murmured tiredly. "Qui-Gon used to do this for me, when I had a nightmare." This, apparently, was supposed to translate to something to the effect of 'go to sleep, I'll still be here in the morning.'

Obi-Wan tucked his head under Anakin's chin, and held tighter, but not uncomfortably for Anakin. He could hear Anakin's heart, and let out a sigh, letting the silent and steady beat lull him to sleep.

The next morning, when the child woke again, Ani was, indeed, still there. He was sitting up now, the sheets pooling around his waist, hiding where the waistband to his sleep pants was, revealing only his bare chest. He was watching Obi-Wan with interest, and when he noticed the boy's eyes open, he quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"Now, would you like to explain what last night was about, kiddo?" He invited, mildly.

Obi-Wan buried his face into the pillow, so that what he said next came out very muffled.

"Do I have to?"

"You don't _have_ to," the blonde admitted, both eyebrows shooting up now. "But, unless you think you want some sort of therapy with Yoda, I'd recommend it."

Obi-Wan quickly shook his head, and took a shaky breath as he sat up. His hands fisted around the sheets, and he stared down at them.

"Like I said last night…I had a dream that you renounced me as your Padawan. Y-you told me that I was worthless, a waste of your time, and that I would never be half the Jedi you or Master Jinn were. Then, you turned your back on me…" He finished quietly, still not looking at Anakin. The Knight licked his lips mutely for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Obi-Wan…" He murmured finally. "I can honestly tell you, I could never do that in good conscious."

"I'm glad to know that, Master…because it made me feel like bantha fodder," the boy told him, and raised his head up to give him a small smile.

"Don't worry, Padawan," he murmured. "You've done far too much for me to abandon you now."

Obi-Wan gave him a true smile now, and nodded. He got out of the bed, and went to the door, pausing only to look back.

"It's too late to train, without many people being there, Master. The same goes for the dining hall, and I'm sure you're probably hungry. I can…_try_ to cook something…I have been watching the cooks for a while, at least I was before we went on our mission." Obi-Wan offered slowly.

An odd little shadow of doubt played across Anakin's face, but after a moment of hesitation, he nodded slightly.

"Just…try not to burn the place down," he mumbled the advice, drawing a laugh from his protégé. "Again."

"I will do my best, Master." With that, he left to change and head into the kitchen. He cooked them a simple meal, but it was much better than the last time. In fact, it could have almost been considered better than the mess hall's… No, it was better. It had a bit more flavor, and he hadn't almost burned down the kitchen, this time.

"It's…_good_…" Anakin stared down at his plate in mild alarm. He was officially impressed now.

"Really? Alright!" Obi-Wan cheered with a grin, and then he also tried the food. He smiled in agreement. They ate in silence, after that, and then spoke of the mission for a bit. They went over things they could have done to be better, and should do to perhaps make the next one successful. Soon enough, it was time for Obi-Wan to go to class.

"I will see you later, Master!" He waved slightly, and picked up his bag to head out the door.

Anakin followed him to the door, and watched him leave, smiling faintly. What would he do without that boy?

One year later

_Anakin's hands were hot as they trailed expertly down his skin. Obi-Wan found himself writhing and wriggling with pleasure, little mewl's escaping his throat. Anakin's hands were wonderful... but his mouth... Force... Obi-Wan bit his lip to keep from flat out moaning.  
__  
"Ma-master…" He stammered. Anakin came up and gave him a bruising kiss._

"Is this what you want?" Anakin questioned. Obi-Wan could only nod. Yes he wanted this, more than anything he wanted this. Anakin smiled at him and the disappeared from his direct line of vision. Obi-Wan gasped as Anakin deep throated him.

"Master!" Obi-Wan gasped as he sat up and tried to catch his breath. He immediately felt his face warm with a deep blush as he realized what the dream had been. Looking down he saw he hadn't created a mess yet but was damn near close to it. He took a deep breath and tried to will his erection away... it didn't work. Sighing Obi-Wan got out of bed and quietly as he could went to the 'fresher. He turned on the shower cold and stripped down. He sucked in a breath as the icy water hit his skin. He imagined those images from his dream being the beads of water that were rolling off his skin. That didn't work either.

'Of all the times for the Force to deny helping me!' He cursed. As much as he hated it, this was starting to become painful.

A few minutes later he stepped from the shower, satisfied but also feeling a bit disgusted with himself. He was not supposed to have dreams about Anakin! And definitely not that kind! Pulling his sleep clothes on after drying he stepped out of the 'fresher and looked back towards his room. Obi-Wan shook his head and went to the common room turning on the holonet, he turned the volume down so he would not wake Anakin and then settled into a corner of the couch curled into a ball.

The Next Morning

When Anakin came from his room the next morning he was puzzled when he didn't see Obi-Wan still in his bed, it was rather early. His Padawan should have still been deeply asleep. He could feel him though, through their bond and he wasn't far.

Continuing to the common room he had to smile at the picture his Padawan made, all curled up and sleeping soundly on the couch. The fleeting question of why his Padawan was sleeping on the couch crossed his mind but he didn't think much of it as he crept over.

Anakin leaned down next to Obi-Wan's ear, a smirk gracing his lips.

"You're going to be late Padawan," he whispered. Obi-Wan shifted but then his eyes flew open as the voice registered in his mind and he sat up quickly not realizing Anakin was still there.

"Sith!" He cursed as they knocked heads. Straightening back up, rubbing his forehead Anakin vowed then and there never to joke with Obi-Wan like that again. "I'm sorry Master! Reallyreallysorry!" Obi-Wan exclaimed quickly as he got up and hurried to his room to get ready, Anakin didn't miss the blush that decorated his face.

Obi-Wan quickly gathered his things and ran out of the apartment so he wouldn't be late to his class, but also to get away from Anakin without speaking to him.

That afternoon, he returned feeling around the apartment cautiously hoping Anakin would either be out or locked up in his room, as he sometimes still did. He didn't feel Anakin and let out a breath of relief. Smiling slightly he started for his room to do his homework and then… whatever… anything that would keep him away from Anakin.

"Welcome home Padawan." Obi-Wan jumped at the voice and turned quickly, a blush rising before he could stop it as he saw Anakin standing in the kitchen leaning against the counter.

"M-Master…" He greeted, his eyes catching Anakin's for a moment before he looked away. Anakin 'hmmed' as he sipped at his coffee.

"You haven't been this jumpy around me since I first took you as my Padawan. Care to explain this sudden slip in your personality?" Anakin questioned.

"No Master, I do not," Obi-Wan replied. Well that really got his curiosity going.

"I think you should." Obi-Wan swallowed… why did this have to happen to him?

"I had a dream last night Master," he told him finally. Anakin's eyes raised to meet his. Obi-Wan had had a dream and hadn't come to him? Obi-Wan always came to him with his dreams, what made this one so special?

"You had… a dream? What happened in it? Why did you not come to me?" Anakin questioned. A small smile graced Obi-Wan's lips.

"It was not like my normal dreams Master. It wasn't scary at all, it was quite good actually," Obi-Wan explained.

Anakin gave him a confused look, Obi-Wan very rarely had good dreams, much like himself. Why had this one been so different?


	8. You Can't Take Me

Chapter Eight

_Don't touch a thing  
__Till you know what's inside it  
__Don't push me, I'll fight it  
__Never gonna get it  
__Never gonna give it up  
__If you can't catch a wave  
__Then you're never gonna ride it  
__You can't come uninvited  
__Never gonna get it  
__Never gonna give it up  
__You can't take me  
__I'm free  
_You Can't Take Me (Bryan Adams)

It was years later, before anything worth mentioning occurred again. Anakin and Obi-Wan were on an important mission on a relatively distant planet. Once again, negotiations had gone poorly, though this time through fault of their own. However, as the fight had ensured and progressed, the stinging throb that had rendered one leg useless, and searing ache of an amputated arm, had led Anakin to a very emphatic conclusion, as he glared furiously up at their adversary. They were screwed. So screwed that he didn't even want to think about it. It was humiliating, how hopeless their situation really seemed to be. By the Force, he hadn't wanted his Padawan to be put in a position like this yet!

Count Dooku walked leisurely around him, just out of reach, watching with great pleasure at the light saber wound that had forced the great Anakin Skywalker to kneel before him, and unable to really move without much pain. He was aware that the other boy was getting up, clutching his arm. That wound had been meant to cause him great agony, and cloud the boy's judgment. He sensed that it was doing it's purpose well, but he could also feel the child's eyes on him.

"So weak," the Count sneered. "Just as weak as when Qui-Gon took you as his Padawan, Skywalker. I always knew his compassion would be his downfall," Dooku told him.

Anakin growled, rage coursing through him. Yoda probably would have stopped in the middle of a battle to yell at him over it, had he been there. As it was, he was not, and all Anakin could seem to do was train his eyes away from the nefarious Count Dooku, onto his own protégé. Worry mixed with the anger now. If Dooku harmed one hair on Obi-Wan's head, so help him…!

Dooku smirked and raised his light saber to strike Anakin, possibly decapitate him. Anakin kept his eyes determinedly open, ready to meet death head on. But, just as the hot crystalline blade drew near his neck, it was blocked by Obi-Wan's blue blade. Obi-Wan winced at the pressure the position put on his arm, but he ignored it. Putting as much strength as he could into it, Obi-Wan pushed Dooku's blade back away from Anakin, watching in satisfaction as Dooku stumbled back, a look of irritation on his face.

"He is not worth protecting," Dooku said, regaining his balance. Obi-Wan stared back at him coldly.

"He is my Master," Obi-Wan replied, taking a defensive stance in front of Anakin. "That is reason enough."

Anakin stared up at the small ponytail, on the back of his Padawan's head, in mild shock. Even after all the years, all the comfort sessions, the occasionally frequent times that they'd been in bed together (for one reason or another), the Knight's confidence in his own ability to train and bond with his apprentice was _still_ lagging. (If it was any consolation, the blonde had finally agreed to face the rest of the Temple at regular intervals again.) He opened his mouth to protest somewhat, but closed it again quickly, biting his lips together. What would he do, should Obi-Wan be harmed? What would either of them do?

Before he could make his comment, however, Dooku attacked, trying to get Obi-Wan away from Anakin. He had to say, Obi-Wan had gotten very skilled in the style of Soresu, and right now both he and the Padawan was very thankful for that fact.

Eventually, he did get lured away from Anakin, but he kept Dooku plenty busy, giving him no chance to return to finish what he had started with Anakin. Dooku was getting frustrated, and he could see that plainly. Anakin's worry increased for Obi-Wan, the Sith used their anger for power…he didn't get a chance to call out his warning, when he saw Dooku's hand move.

Obi-Wan was thrown back into the wall of the cavernous room. He let out a cry of pain, as his head smacked into the wall. He slowly fell to the floor, and for a couple of tense moments Dooku watched him, waiting. Obi-Wan struggled to push himself up, and continue this fight to protect his Master, but he only made it a couple of inches off the floor, before his vision swam and darkness claimed him.

Dooku smiled and chuckled, as he turned back to Anakin when he felt Obi-Wan go unconscious. Eyes wide and mouth agape in horror, Anakin shook his head helplessly a few times. He couldn't lose Obi-Wan…not him too… It took him a short moment to pull himself together enough to be able to guard his mind and gaze, and turn back to Dooku again. Pulling himself painfully to his feet, he favored his injured leg, and adjusted his light saber's grip in his good hand. Obi-Wan had defended him, he told himself with grim determination. It was time to return the favor. Dooku looked him over critically and smirked. It was an action that Anakin was beginning to hate very greatly, and take personal offense to.

"You cannot defeat me as you are, Skywalker," the Count chided.

"Probably not," Anakin agreed, frowning and trying desperately to keep his balance. "I can damn well try, though." And he planned to.

Dooku's smirk deepened, and he attacked. The fight was unfair, to say the least, with Anakin missing one harm and sporting a wounded leg. But, miracles _did_ seem to follow him…perhaps they should have called him 'The Miracle One', instead…

Just before Dooku had the chance to kill his exhausted opponent, a new energy spiked in the Force, and Anakin was very tempted to look to see if it was true. But, he didn't have to, for Dooku made it quite clear.

"Ah, Yoda, have you come to die as well?" He questioned pleasantly.

"Come to die, I have _not_, my old Padawan," Yoda informed him serenely, looking of the objectionable states of Anakin and Obi-wan, as the former collapsed in exhaustion again. "Save these two, I will." He jabbed his gimer stick in the Master-Padawan team's direction, as Anakin tried vainly to stay conscious and tend to his severed arm at the same time.

During the fight of Yoda and Dooku, the idea of throwing things became a most popular one. Anakin's vision finally cleared enough to allow him to make it over to Obi-Wan, and at least attempt to protect him from any flying debris. Dooku knew he could not win this fight against the old Master, so he purposefully hurled an object too big for Anakin to catch, in his weakened state. While the object distracted Yoda, Dooku escaped.

Cursing painfully, Anakin glared after Qui-Gon's former Master, before passing out as well. Yoda hobbled over to them and shook his head sadly, before pulling out his comlink. Backup would help immensely for getting these two back to the Temple.

Back at the Jedi Temple

When Anakin awoke, he found himself in the Healer Wing. His first thought consisted of how bright it was, but then…Obi-Wan! He heard a slight chuckle from his right, and turned his head to see his Padawan sitting in the chair beside his bed.

"Hello, Master," Obi-Wan greeted him. He had been awake for scarcely a few hours now, but he'd immediately insisted on being brought to his Master's side. The only reason he was allowed this request was because Bant had become the Padawan to a Healer, and was now watching over him personally. His head had been wrapped, while he was unconscious. Bant had informed him that he had a rather nasty cut on the back of it.

"Hi," Anakin returned dryly, glancing down at his arm with much trepidation, to examine the full extent of the damage. It actually wasn't half as bad as he'd expected. The Healers had replaced it while he'd been unconscious; so it wasn't like he looked down to find nothing. The gleaming metal fingers twitched reflexively, as he pushed himself up on his good arm, slightly. "Dare I ask what you find so amusing, my young Padawan?"

"Just your first thought after waking up, Master. It is rather bright in here, isn't it?" Obi-Wan teased him.

"Fairly," the Knight confirmed, squinting slightly and raising the durasteel replacement limb up to his line of vision, to scrutinize it more carefully. The black cabling was a harsh contrast to the shiny metal. The Healers hadn't bothered to cover it with anything, and the prosthetic was obviously false. It was heavy, too, but that was the least of his worries. Concern in his eyes, he turned to look at his Padawan carefully. "How're you doing?" Dooku had literally tossed them both around, quite a bit.

"I'm fine, Master. Bant told me, when I woke up, it's just a minor concussion," Obi-Wan answered. "My vision is a bit fuzzy, but she said that was only an effect." He didn't mention that things were also slightly dim. He just figured that was part of the fuzziness that went along with the concussion.

"Concussion?" Anakin's eyebrows shot up, as he forced himself to sit up fully. His injured leg protested, but he refused to wince over it…again. He could feel where the fake flesh was knitting to his natural skin, to help the burns and cuts heal faster. "You're sure you're alright?"

"Of course, Master. It's only a minor one, more confusion than anything. But, thank you for your concern," Obi-Wan told him, nodding slowly.

"I have to worry about you," Anakin informed him, a bit more brightly than he actually felt. "If I'm worrying about you, I don't have time to worry about myself."

Obi-Wan laughed, it sounded clear and light, like the tinkling of a bell. When he finally stopped, his eyes seemed brighter than they had before, and there was a smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, we'll make a deal, Master. You worry about me, and I'll worry about you. That way, we'll both have someone worrying about us."

"_It's better if you don't_." Anakin considered saying, but he resisted the urge, smiling slightly instead. "If you insist on it," he agreed with an overly dramatized sigh.

Obi-Wan chuckled again, but he stopped when the door opened, and Bant came in. She smiled at them both.

"Good to see you awake, Knight Skywalker," she said, checking over his wounds. "Obi-Wan, you need to head back to your room now. You still need to rest."

"But, I…" He quickly trailed off at the looks he received from both Bant and Anakin.

"Go," Anakin instructed pointedly. "I'll make it an order, if you won't listen to her, Padawan."

Obi-Wan sighed and nodded. "All right, but you _must_ promise me to rest too, Master. You went through much more than I did," he told him, standing. Neither Anakin nor Bant missed how he swayed slightly, but neither commented on it.

"I really don't have much of a choice in the matter," the Knight pointed out lightly. He couldn't exactly stand, and it would take much physical therapy to get used to the balance shift that came with his durasteel arm, let alone getting the Force to move through the damned thing. "Go," he repeated, making a shooing motion toward the door. Obi-Wan gave him another smile, before turning and leaving.

"He was very worried about you, Knight Skywalker. Your name was the first thing to come out of his mouth, when he woke up," Bant told him as she finished his check up, by recording the information on a datapad.

"He shouldn't worry so much…" Anakin grumbled, allowing himself to lie back down again, once Obi-Wan was out of the room. "Doesn't he know it's _my_ job to worry about _him_?"

"Well, of course, but it's each Padawan's job to worry for their Master. I know I worry about mine, and she's a _Healer_!" Bant replied, laughing.

"Right…" Anakin sighed with a nod, slumping down further into the bed. "Right. I just…wish he wouldn't…" But, then the Force only knew how much he'd worried about Qui-Gon, when he'd gotten injured. But…Qui-Gon had been more than a Master. He'd been his boyfriend. Wasn't it different?

"Get some more rest, Knight Skywalker, you should be able to be discharged within the next day or two." Bant started to leave the room, but Anakin cut her off sharply.

"Padawan Erin," he barked after her, a bit more irritation than he'd intended creeping into his tone. "Turn down the lights, won't you?" He was going to go blind, at this rate.

Bant laughed softly, and dimmed the lights.

Obi-Wan had been allowed to leave the Healer wing a day before Anakin, but he chose to stay in his Master's room, just to put his mind at ease that the older man was really okay. They had been permitted to come back to their quarters the night before, and it was now after waking up that Anakin felt confusion and slight fear coming across the bond he and Obi-Wan shared.

Pulling himself out of bed, he limped across the small space, into Obi-Wan's adjacent room. When he reached the bed, it was obviously what the problem was, but he still asked, to confirm his suspicions.

"Padawan?"

"Master…w-why can't I see you?" Obi-Wan almost whispered.

"I'm sure it's just some sort of…temporary side effect," Anakin murmured, pressing his flesh hand to Obi-Wan's cheek reassuringly. His knowledge of the healing arts was mediocre, at best, but…he had to find _some_ way to calm Obi-Wan down…right?

Obi-Wan swallowed, he trusted Anakin more than anyone. So, he had to believe what he said, right? He did…but that really didn't help the panic he was feeling from waking up, only to open his eyes and see…nothing. One of his hands sought out Anakin's flesh one. Awkwardly, Anakin sat down on the edge of the bed, and moved his hand to meet Obi-Wan's.

"You'll be fine," he murmured, only half believing it himself. "Just fine."

"Okay…" Obi-Wan nodded. He would be fine…because Anakin said so.

Later, at the Healers'

"A temporary side effect, from the concussion," the Healer confirmed Anakin's diagnosis, as she examined Obi-Wan's eyes and wound his head. "You may experience some headaches, and maybe even small bouts of amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Anakin echoed, from where he was leaning against a nearby wall. This concussion thing was going to be a real pain, wasn't it? "But, he'll be fine…right?"

"Of course, this was only a minor concussion. If it had been a major one, he would either be unconscious still, or dead, now," she told them bluntly. Obi-Wan's sightless eyes widened. He could have _died_, if Dooku had pushed him just a bit harder…

"Would you quit scaring him?" The blonde Knight growled, pushing himself off the wall, to limp over to Obi-Wan's side. He laid a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. The contact would help, he knew. His gaze was cool, as it landed on the Healer, though. He had no patience for doctors, less than he had for politicians, anyway.

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth," the Healer replied. She stood and opened the door for them. "You are free to go, now. I will report this to the Council." With that, she left them.

"Come on," the elder murmured, helping his protégé to his feet, and steering him toward the door. "No doubt we'll be called by the Council, later." His already non-existent patience was wearing thinner by the second.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan agreed, quietly following the gentle pressure of Anakin's hand on his shoulder, so as to not run into anything.

Anakin had, thus far, taken extra care not to touch his apprentice with his new durasteel hand. By heart, Anakin was a mechanic. He'd always felt comfortable around machines. He was not, however, convinced that Obi-Wan would feel as such. He didn't want to scare his already jumpy Padawan off, after all… He'd get a glove for the damn thing soon, but for now…being careful would have to do.

Later, with the Council

"Troubling, this news is, young Kenobi," Yoda declared.

"The Healer assured me that it's only temporary," he answered, turning his head in the direction of Yoda's voice.

"What do you intend to do in the mean time, Knight Skywalker?" Ki-Adi-Mundi wondered, while Anakin could feel Adi Gallia and Mace Windu burning holes in him with their eyes.

"Put his training on hold, until he's recovered, Master," the blonde responded calmly, though loath to admit that this was the only option he'd thought of thus far.

Yoda shook his head, and focused his wise eyes on Anakin.

"Continue his training, you must, young Skywalker. Sharpen his other senses this will. Do this, you _must_." His voice spoke volumes, and told both Obi-Wan and Anakin that this meeting was finished. Obi-Wan bowed and waited for him to leave, so that he could follow.

Anakin tossed a look at Yoda that, had it been directed at anyone else, would have been absolutely furious.

"Yes, Master," he bit off, turning and moving slowly down the staircase, so that Obi-Wan wouldn't fall behind him.

"Well, that was…unhelpful…" Obi-Wan said, as they walked.

"Unhelpful," Anakin snorted darkly, his temper getting the better of his discipline. "Unhelpful my ass. If I have to take you offworld, I'll make sure you get the recovery time you need."

"Whatever you say, Master," Obi-Wan told him, as he felt the wall for the keypad and pressed in the code that would open his door, once his finger found it. Obi-Wan stopped between the kitchen and common room. He bit his lower lip, and then turned his head back towards Anakin. "Now would be the point where I offered to cook us something…but I'm not sure that's the best idea…"

Shaking his head in amusement, Anakin nudged him toward the common room, almost teasingly.

"Go," he instructed simply. "I won't poison you."

Obi-Wan looked like he was going to protest, but then he shook his head against it. He used the Force to guide himself around the tables and such, before sitting on the couch. He found the buttons on the holocom, and pressed one that he knew, by now, even if he'd had his sight, would play some music. Not the kind that they played in the slums' clubs, but soft and relaxing melodies.

After some bewildered puttering around the kitchen, Anakin stared helplessly at the mess he'd created, before throwing the meal away.

"I'm going to go get take-out," he informed Obi-Wan flatly, already heading to grab his cloak and exit the apartment. "Just…stay put."

Obi-Wan laughed softly, after he had heard Anakin leave. Why hadn't he seen that coming?

Dex's Diner

"Ah, young Skywalker! How have you been?" Dexter called, when he saw him enter through the door.

"Oh…peachy…" Anakin managed to summon up a smile for his friend. His Padawan was blind, might have amnesia, and was scared out of his mind, as far as Anakin could tell. He himself was missing an arm, could barely walk, and had very nearly killed them both, via trying to cook. "Life's never been better." He resisted the urge to sneer.

"Good, good! Where's that youngster that's always tagging with you? What can I get ya, tadpole?" Dex listed off pleasantly.

"Usual." Anakin shrugged, relieving some of the strain on his leg by sitting gingery down on a stool. "Obi-Wan's…not feeling too great right now. Rough mission, could have been…successful."

"Sorry to hear that; send him my best wishes," Dex requested, placing the order.

"Can do." The blonde nodded, shifting his sleeve slightly, to hide more of his replacement arm. He wasn't ashamed of it, by any means, but he also wasn't one to flaunt his unwanted accessories, such as they were.

When Anakin returned, Obi-Wan almost jumped to his feet, and was very tempted to run and hug him. The apartment was very cold and lonely; especially in the darkness he was experiencing. Somehow, he managed to keep a calm face, and just turned to give Anakin a grateful, pleased, smile.

"Welcome home, Master."

"Hey," Anakin greeted him, making his way over and plopping the food bags down onto the coffee table, pulling Obi-Wan's food out, and handing it to him. "Got your favorite."

"Thank you, Master." Obi-Wan's smile grew, as he took the food and utensils that went with it. As with most meals, they ate in silent and then just listened to the music. It was something they had discovered in the second year of Obi-Wan's apprenticeship that they both liked.

"You haven't gotten any amnesia, have you?" Anakin wondered finally, staring down into his drink anxiously.

Obi-Wan's eyebrows knitted together, as he thought.

"Not yet, Master. Things are mainly just fuzzy, but that was also how my eyesight was, two days ago. I suppose that means nothing," he replied to the inquiry.

"Right…" Glancing up, the blonde searched Obi-Wan's unfocused eyes, glad that his companion couldn't see the concern in his own.

Obi-Wan propped his chin into his palm, as he leaned into the side of the couch, and looked in Anakin's direction.

"Tell me about Master Jinn again." He had this request when he was scared, usually after his nightmares. These stories had almost become bedtime faerie tales.

"What do you want to hear about him today?" Anakin wondered absently, looking away again, sinking down into the couch cushions himself.

"Umm…when he came to Tatooine, and discovered you," Obi-Wan answered, after a moment.

Anakin blinked, honestly surprised by the request. Eventually, he nodded unnecessarily in agreement.

"He was training the Padawan he had before me, when he showed up," Ani murmured, trying to recall the experience in detail. He hadn't gone into his own personal history with Obi-Wan, in all the time he'd known him. "My mother and I…were slaves there. Our owner ran a junk shop, and Qui-Gon's ship had broken down. They were looking for a rare part, and he was the only one who had it. I was, at the time, competing in the Podraces. Working in the shop too. They didn't have any real money to buy the part with, so I wanted to help. I raced, won the money for it, and Qui-Gon somehow got me freed. I don't know how. Not my mother, though…I didn't see her again, after that. His Padawan, Xanatos, turned to the dark side, not long after, and left the order. That was why the Council let Qui-Gon train me." Because of Qui-Gon's insistence that he was the Chosen one, he'd assumed.

Obi-Wan made a soft little 'mmm' noise, his head going to lie on his folded arms, and his eyes closed. He always fell asleep listening to his stories about Qui-Gon. Anakin didn't seem to mind telling them so much, anymore… He would probably remember to ask more about Anakin's mother, later. He didn't remember much about his own…

Smiling slightly, Anakin shifted the boy's position gently, with the Force, and covered him with a blanket.

"I wish you'd gotten to know him better," he murmured softly, so as to not disturb his slumber. Having finished, he crawled off of the couch, and dimmed the lights to half power. "You'd have loved him too."


	9. The Trouble With Love

Chapter Nine  
_Now, I was once a fool  
__It's true  
__I played the game by all the rules  
__But now my world's a deeper blue  
__I'm sadder, but I'm wiser too  
__I swore I'd never love again  
__I swore my heart would never mend  
__Said love wasn't worth the pain  
__But then I heard it call my name  
_The Trouble With Love (Kelly Clarkson, Thankful)

Six years later

Taking the occasion very seriously, Obi-Wan did not smile, though inside he was jumping in joy. He was finally a Jedi Knight! All the hard training had finally paid off! Pride filled him, but part of him was also sad. Another five minutes, or so, and he would no longer be Anakin Skywalker's Padawan. His eyes watched closely, as his Master came forward to stand in front of him, just as the other Masters did with their own Padawan's. He tried to discern whether Anakin was feeling the same happiness; but, as usual, his Master's defensive walls, around his mind, were closed tightly. Obi-Wan tried to give him a reassuring look with his eyes, but he didn't know if it worked.

Stass Allie handed Anakin a small knife, and he reached up to take a hold on Obi-Wan's Padawan braid. He looked back into Obi-Wan's eyes, and then with three quick cuts, the braid was severed. Yoda gave him the closest thing to a smile they had ever seen on them, and Mace Windu stood beside him.

"You are now Knights of the Jedi Order," he told them. "Congratulations."

With that, the ceremony was released with a chorus of sighs and smiles. Bant immediately ran up to hug Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan, we did it! We're Knights!" The Mon Calamari cheered.

Obi-Wan just smiled and nodded, trying to keep eye contact with Anakin, but he was already leaving.

"Hold that thought, Bant," he instructed, "I'll be right back," he promised, jogging out of the room to find Anakin. "Master!" He called, when he caught sight of him. Anakin paused, and looked back over his shoulder.

"I'm not your Master anymore, Pad-Obi-Wan," he replied, and turned away again. Obi-Wan hated that…it made him feel cold. Disconnected. But, he still persisted.

"Knight Erin invited me to go out and celebrate with them—" He started, but Anakin cut him off brusquely.

"What are you waiting for, then? You don't need anything from me. You don't have to ask my permission, anymore," Anakin told him, his voice was close to breaking and he both knew it. He had to get away from Obi-Wan, before his composure collapsed completely. Quickly, he walked away.

After a trip to 500 Republica, to visit a "close Senatorial friend" from Naboo, Anakin returned to their (now his) Temple apartment, roughly two hours later. Walking through the door, he noticed someone standing on the balcony, and was immediately on guard. No one was supposed to be there… Creeping over to the door, it cycled open for him, and he instantly recognized Obi-Wan.

"Pad-Obi-Wan?" He wondered. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going out, to celebrate with Knight Erin and your other friends?" Obi-Wan gave him a soft smile.

"I started to, but then I realized that I'd rather celebrate with you," he said quietly. "I thought…you might want this," Obi-Wan turned to him, and held out his hand fisted. He slowly opened the palm to reveal the severed Padawan braid.

Anakin felt his throat clog with emotion that he couldn't swallow down, as he looked down at his own hand, which now held the plate of his protégé's hair. Clenching his fist, he growled lowly, glaring at the ground. It was time for the biggest gut spilling he'd done since he'd told Qui-Gon of the true spirit of his feelings, all those years ago,

"Loving Qui-Gon Jinn was like bedding peace," he muttered finally, unable to look up from the tiles of the balcony. "Losing him was to drown in the harshest pain you can imagine… I…will _not_ make myself hurt like that again." Finally, he looked up at Obi-Wan, his eyes bright. He was about to lose another person he'd devoted sixteen years of his life to. It wasn't fucking fair! "Don't expect me to."

Obi-Wan stepped closer and held Anakin's eyes, tears shimmering in his own.

"I do not want to lose you, Master…please, do not turn your back on me…" he whispered.

"A Master does not turn his back on his student." The blonde frowned, though that was exactly what he did – in a much more literal sense – as he turned, with the intention of returning inside. "My doors are always open to you." It wasn't like the hat on the door rule exactly applied to members of the Jedi Order. "I'm sure you'll want to move out, now that you can, though."

Obi-Wan moved quickly, his arms wrapping around Anakin's waist to stop him. He turned his face to the side, resting it against Anakin's back.

"No…Master…Anakin." The name felt foreign and strange on his tongue, but it also somehow felt natural. "I never want to leave you."

Stiffening under his touch, Ani glanced back over his shoulder at him.

"You're in your prime," he tried to talk his way out of the vice grip that the lad had on his arm. "You don't want to be tied down with me." He knew that at twenty-five, the last thing he'd wanted was to be tied down. He hadn't had a choice. Obi-Wan did. Anakin wasn't exactly young anymore; he couldn't expect his learner to want to stay with him any longer. Obi-Wan shook his head, holding tighter.

"No, no!" There was a long silence, and Anakin could feel Obi-Wan shaking. His arms finally relinquished their hold, and Obi-Wan crumpled to his knees behind him. His head bowed to the floor, as the tears fell into his clenched hands. "I-I lo-love you…"

For the longest moment, the older Knight stared down at him with a mixed level of alarm and dispassion. Finally, he knelt down in front of his former Padawan, and tilted the brunette's chin up with his flesh fingers.

"Dangerous words, for one of us," he mused softly, gaze unreadable. "Think long and hard, before you say them again."

Obi-Wan stared at him, into his eyes, and then wiped the tears away.

"I've tried to ignore it…but the dreams…they won't stop…and I knew…I knew the moment Dooku attacked us, when he was ready to kill you…I couldn't let him. I love you, Anakin Skywalker, and I know it's true. Even if you give me nothing in return, all I ask is to be allowed to stay with you."

Anakin said nothing, and merely watched him for another long moment. Then, he pressed a dry kiss to his forehead, and stood again, turning to head back inside.

"I'm not going to throw you out," he mumbled, pausing in the doorway. "But…I'm not sure I can tell you I love you back." It was a subtle way of saying that he did, he just didn't feel right saying it. "But, I'm not going to turn you in for it, either. I'm not that big of a hypocrite."

The boy on the balcony came to his feet, and gave him a smile. Anakin knew his body language by now, and could tell he wanted to run forward and hug him, but his training kept him from doing so.

"That's all I ask…" Obi-Wan whispered.

"That's all I can give you," Anakin admitted, frowning, in spite of himself. "For now."

And, thus, nothing changed between them. No…that was a lie. Everything had changed. No longer did simple, reassuring, touches mean the same thing. They both felt new shocks and energy in those touches…neither knew how much longer they could go on denying themselves…

Eventually, it wasn't enough. Anakin felt as though he was in a primal daze, and he barely even registered their first time, because of it. He wasn't entirely aware that it had really happened, until the next morning, when he felt sticky skin against his own. This led to quite a bit of cursing. He hadn't meant to do that, damn it all!

Obi-Wan's arm laid across his stomach, his head resting against Anakin's side, breath tickling him slightly. He shifted, when he heard Anakin's curses, and blinked slowly at him.

"Mmm…good morning, Master," he said softly, eyes dancing.

"Uh, yeah." Ani looked him up and down a few good times, before disentangling himself and crawling out of bed. "I'm…going to go shower. Now."

Obi-Wan sat up, the sheet pooling at his waist. He wanted to know, but he also didn't…the words came unbidden from his mouth, before he could stop them.

"You didn't hate me when I made my confession, but…what about now? Was this a mistake?" He asked.

Anakin paused, and glanced down at his hands. The prosthetic one was ungloved, he noted with a frown. How this was relevant, he wasn't sure. He'd just put so much effort into hiding it, for Obi-Wan, and he didn't remember stripping down the night before…

"There have only been two other people I've ever touched like that," he murmured, redirecting his gaze to the floor. "One was Qui-Gon, and I have never had any desire to betray him… He's been dead a long time, though. I don't…think he'd mind." Qui-Gon had stopped coming to him, once he'd calmed down enough to stop hallucinating. "He…I don't think 'mistake' is the right word…" The younger boy nodded.

"Alright, Master." Obi-Wan stood and pulled a long nightshirt over his head. He came over to Anakin, that infuriating smile still playing on his lips. "I'll go make us something to eat." He placed a light kiss on Anakin's lips.

"Coffee," Anakin declared simply, before continuing into the 'fresher. "Lots of coffee."

Obi-Wan laughed.

"Of course, Master," he answered. "What flavor would you like?"

"Black." Was Anakin's only requirement, before the 'fresher door slid shut behind him.

He entered the kitchen some time later, wearing pants and an open tunic, a burning cigarette clenched between his lips as he sat down. He sniffed the air, filled the aroma of breakfast, appreciatively. Obi-Wan sat a cup of coffee before him, and then made a mug of tea, for himself.

"I don't know how you drink that stuff, it smells good…but tastes terrible," Obi-Wan told him, wrinkling his nose.

"Caffeine, my friend," Anakin grinned, holding his cigarette in one hand, as he took a long draught from the mug with the other. The scenario was so fantastically…normal. "Pure liquid caffeine."

"I still stand by what I said. Yuck." Obi-Wan then stole the cigarette from his fingers, and took a simple draw. "That's not so bad, though," he admitted, handing it back.

Anakin offered him a dry look, and puffed away contentedly on the filter.

"Don't do that again," he mumbled around it. "I won't have Yoda or Mace Windu accusing me of making an addict out of you."

"Why would they have to know?" Obi-Wan questioned.

"The Council knows _everything_." The blonde rolled his eyes. He himself had received several lectures of his apparently 'repulsive' habit, over the past few years. "They just choose to ignore some of it."

"Okay…okay! I won't do it again," Obi-Wan promised, standing to take his dishes to the sink. "I'm going to grab my shower now."

"Right," Anakin finished his coffee and hopped to his own feet. "I have a meeting with Chancellor Palpatine today. I don't know if I'll be back for lunch or not."

Obi-Wan frowned. He had never liked politicians, save perhaps a few. But, Anakin had never taken him to meet Palpatine… Maybe he could go today…?

"Could I go with you, Master?"

"If you're ready in time, I don't see why not," Anakin agreed with a half shrug, hurrying into his room to get some clean robes on. "He'll like you, I bet. Padmé did."

Obi-Wan nodded, and went to take a quick shower, then get dressed in his normal robes. He was toweling his hair dry when Anakin asked if he was ready.

"Yes, Master, just have to grab my cloak," he answered, throwing the towel into the cycle bin.

A slight smile tugged at Ani's lips, as he waited. They headed out the door, and up to the hangar. From there, it didn't take Anakin long to expertly pilot them to the Senate complex. A turbolift ride later, Anakin was leading Obi-Wan, in a confidant stride, past Sly Moore and Mas Amedda, into Palpatine's inner office. (It was a long-standing tradition. Anakin Skywalker was the only one in the galaxy who didn't need an advanced appointment to see the ruler of the Republic.)

Obi-Wan looked around the extravagant office, as they waited for Palpatine to get out of his meeting. They didn't have to wait long, fortunately. When the man entered, Obi-Wan forced a slight smile. In truth, the feeling the old politician brought into the room made him sick.

"Ah, Anakin, my boy! How wonderful of you to visit! And, you've brought a friend with you! Young Obi-Wan Kenobi, if I'm not mistaken. I heard of your recent elevation to the status of Knight, and I congratulate you," Palpatine told them. Obi-Wan bowed slightly.

"Thank you, sir," he answered.

Anakin bowed respectfully at the waist, and smiled at the old man.

"Chancellor." He nodded. "I trust you've been well? These are hard times to be in." The Republic was unstable, and a Separatist movement had been stirring for some time. It was why Palpatine was still in office. His term had technically ended years ago.

"Of course I have. There are still quite a few years left in these old bones," Palpatine answered, motioning for them to sit. "This building war will put more stress on the Jedi Order, so I should be asking you the same thing. I hope they have not been working you too hard."

"Never fear, Chancellor." Anakin's grin morphed slightly, (more of a grimace now,) but he sat anyway. "They can't overwork me. I don't think it's possible to overwork their 'destined hero'." He wasn't sure this was entirely true, but he hadn't been overworked recently… (His bitter tone wasn't lost on either of his companions, though both politely ignored it.)

"Good to hear that. Have they sent you on any missions recently?" The Chancellor asked. His question was open to both of them, so Obi-Wan answered.

"Not recently, Chancellor, the Council likes for those getting elevated, and their Masters, to be present at the ceremony. But, I'm sure we'll get sent out again soon." Palpatine nodded.

"Don't Knights usually spend a few years alone in the field?"

"Normally," Obi-Wan told him. "But, Master Skywalker and I work so well together, the Council has not seen the need to split up apart yet."

"Like they could." Anakin sniffed slightly, resting his chin in his gloved hand, and glancing toward the large, curved window. It was a well-established fact in the Jedi Temple: if Anakin Skywalker didn't want something happening to him, it wasn't happening.

They heard a slight buzzing sound, then, and Obi-Wan put a hand to his belt, checking the ringing comlink.

"Please, excuse me," he said, and quickly stood to leave the room.

"He's a good man…" Anakin murmured, his eyes straying after him, before turning back to the Chancellor curiously. The man had invited him there for a reason, after all. Palpatine watched the closed door for a moment, before looking back at Anakin, a smile on his face.

"He seems like a nice boy. Rather subdued, though…much more quiet than you were, less passionate about what you believe," he commented thoughtfully.

"Every bit as passionate," Anakin corrected, reflecting on what few memories the Force had given him, of the night before. "He just has…more appropriate ways of displaying it."

"Well, after spending sixteen years with you, as your Padawan, something had to rub off. Although, it is rather odd that he would choose to stay with you, after the opportunity to leave was presented," he said, his eyes boring into Anakin's.

"Yeah," Anakin admitted, unable to meet his gaze, suddenly. "I thought so too. I mean…why'd he want to stay with me, when he's so young and could be off having his _own_ life? Making his own legacies?"

"Perhaps there is something more behind his reasons," Palpatine suggested subtly.

"I know his reasons, Chancellor." Anakin smiled faintly. "I even commiserate with them. I just…don't understand them." He was so lost in thought, he didn't even notice when Obi-Wan made his near silent return to the room.

"I'm sorry, Chancellor, but we must leave you." The brunette cut in. "Master, we have a mission."

Anakin glanced up at him, and nodded, rising to his feet, bowing to Palpatine.

"Forgive the abrupt intrusion," the blonde murmured. "We'll finish some other time?"

Palpatine stood, and gave him a paternal hug, not missing the flash of something in Obi-Wan's eyes. He pulled away, and Obi-Wan bowed to him.

"It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Chancellor. Master has always spoken very highly of you." _Although I can't understand why_, he added to himself.

Anakin tossed him a warning look, catching traces of his thoughts over their bond, before bidding Palpatine farewell, and exiting the office. Once they were out of the Senate complex all together, Anakin spoke again.

"He has been very good to me for a very long time," he informed Obi-Wan simply.

"I understand that, Master. But, unfortunately, I cannot say I foresee forging a friendship with him, as I have with the Senators from Alderaan and Naboo." The newly crowned Knight retorted, as they climbed into the speeder.

"Padmé and Bail are good people too," Anakin confirmed, an odd look passing over his face, at the mention of Senator Amidala. (He was increasingly regretting the intimacy they'd shared, on the day of Obi-Wan's knighting.) "They and the Chancellor are three of the few politicians who have managed to remain uncorrupt."

Upon arriving back at the Temple, Master Yoda presented them with a holomap.

"Dangerous these times are becoming." Yoda told them sadly. "Go to Null, you will. Help calm the tense emotions, you must."

"Yes, Master," Anakin agreed, bowing slightly before taking a careful look at the topographical map. Mostly mountain and forest terrain, Null was famous for its hunting. He remembered this information from his studies with Qui-Gon, during his training. It would come in handy, he knew. The best way to get in good with a planet was to blend in, at first. Obi-Wan moved forward to collect the chip that held their mission details and the map, from Yoda.

"Very careful, you should be," the wizened troll advised. "Much darkness clouds my mind."

Nodding mutely, Anakin merely waited for dismissal. They could get disguises on the trip over. It wouldn't be hard. Hunters wore mostly standard clothes, in neutral colors. Some skins, simple cloths, nothing too awful to don.

As usual, after they boarded the ship, Obi-Wan sat down and read over the mission notes, until he had them memorized. He then relayed the information to Anakin, knowing the notes were usually lengthy and longwinded. His Master had no patience for such things, but they usually helped, if negotiations were needed.

"Right." Anakin drawled, once he'd gotten through the summarization, digging through some trunks of supplies that the Temple had given them, to form disguises from. "Dueling factions, nothing new. Should be easy enough." They would just have to assess the situation, from the locals' point of view, then go to the faction leaders and reveal themselves as Jedi. After that, the negotiations could begin.

When the ship landed, it was a few miles from the nearest village. Obi-Wan took a deep breath of the fresh air that only came with trees and mountains. The view was very breath taking, and he was glad, at that moment, that he had gotten sigh sight back after that concussion, all those years ago.

"Which village are we heading to, Master?" Obi-Wan questioned. "There are two nearby."

Anakin drew his data-pad, and pulled up the map again, looking it over more carefully.

"West." He determined finally, pointing in the appropriate direction. The hunters' clothing was tighter than he was used to, but he'd manage. Obi-Wan nodded, to his words, and shouldered his pack.

"At least the scenery will be nice, while we walk. Hopefully, nothing will happen on the way there."

"Never say never," Anakin suggested lightly, setting out at a brisk pace.

Obi-Wan followed, just a few paces behind. His senses were alert, as they walked. Fortunately, they made it to the village without incident. Their mission took a little over a week, and the most exciting thing was traveling back and forth between the squabbling villages, with negotiation terms. By the time it was due for them to leave, they were both exhausted.

"All I want right now," Anakin grumbled, as they went back to the shuttle. "Is a hot shower, a nice smoke, and my own fucking pants."

Obi-Wan wanted to laugh, but he could only yawn and stretch, his back muscles complaining slightly as his spine popped.

"You go do that, Master. I can take the first watch," The brunette told him, heading for the control room.

"Bless you," Anakin nodded, going in the opposite direction.

R2-D2 greeted Obi-Wan with a series of keeps, when he entered the small cockpit. The young Knight had to smile down at the little droid.

"Hello, Artoo, set a course for Coruscant. But, don't put it on autopilot. I need something to keep me awake. If I start falling asleep, beep at me, or something, so I wake up, okay?" He asked. R2 whistled in agreement, and set the course.

Some time later, a rather soggy and tired Anakin was aroused from his nap by an incessant beeping noise. Groaning, the blonde man rolled out of bed, and stumbled toward the cockpit, to see what was bothering his eccentric little droid now.

R2 was beeping at Obi-Wan, however, to wake him up. But, he was beeping very softly, as to _not_ wake him up. He had switched over to autopilot moments after Obi-Wan had dozed off. The younger Jedi was now sitting with one leg propped over one of the chair's arms; his chin was held in his palm, as he slept. R2 whistled at Anakin, spinning his top in greeting

Anakin grinned at R2 and moved over, gently Forcing Obi-Wan into the co-pilot's seat. He'd take over… A Jedi of his level shouldn't need to sleep anyway…at least he was clean now. A little flying would do him good. It wasn't long before Obi-Wan woke, via almost sliding out of the co-pilot's seat. The younger man then sat up, blinking in confusion.

"Master?" He questioned, his gaze finally landing on him.

"Have a nice nap?" Anakin wondered, his lips curving, though he didn't take his gaze off of the view screen or instruments.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep." He sent a glare in R2's direction. "You were supposed to beep at me, if I started to drift off."

"Oh," Anakin snorted. "He beeped. You just sleep like a log. It's fine, though. You're tired, go back to sleep."

"But, that's not right, Master." Obi-Wan shook his head. "You're tired too."

"Padawan," Anakin's tone was gently teasing, as he shot him a dry look. "I've been piloting since I was three years old. I think I can handle three more hours."

Obi-Wan didn't really look doubtful, he knew Anakin's piloting skills were amazing. But, he didn't like leaving him there, as tired as he knew he had to be.

"Alright," he finally sighed. "But, you'll come get me if you get too tired, promise?"

"Yes, yes," Ani agreed with a dramatized wave. "Don't worry, your old Master will come get you if his stamina gives out, young one."

Obi-Wan smiled as he stood, and placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder, squeezing it gently. He then left the cockpit, to head for the sleeping quarters. Once in the room, the same one Anakin had been in, since the ship was very small and only had one room for such things, he fell into the bed and promptly fell asleep, breathing his Master's scent.

Anakin didn't wake him again, until they reached Coruscant. He shook Obi-Wan's shoulder gently, upon landing the ship on the Temple's hangar deck. Dark circles were forming under his eyes, but there was a smile on his face.

"Home again, home again," he sighed, looking relieve when Obi-Wan woke.

The shorter stretched and yawned, as he stood. He smiled as they exited the ship, and looked out over Coruscant.

"It's not much to look at, but it's still home."

"It's…" Anakin frowned, and crossed his arms, staring out over the cityscape thoughtfully. Dirty. That was really the best word to describe the Galactic Capitol. Dirty and crowded. "Absolutely perfect," he snorted finally, letting his arms fall back to his side as eh turned to head over to the turbolift that would take them from the hangar to the residential dormitories.

"Go on, and get some sleep, Master. I will go make the report to the Council, you know how they like those prompt," Obi-Wan promised him.

Anakin glanced at him, and his smile widened. He'd get a tongue lashing from Mace Windu, for skipping out, he knew…but it would be worth it. Nodding mutely, he continued on his way. Sleep sounded heavenly.

_The flames were scorching, as they leaped into the air surrounding them. Obi-Wan was on his knees, staring at him. His face shone with sweat and was streaked with tears, dirtied with ash. Anakin blinked, and his protégé was dead, lying still on the dirt bank below their feet, a light saber wound decorated his chest where his heart was. Anguish ripped through him, and his whole form shook…_

Anakin sat up in bed, cold sweat making the room that much chillier. It was dark out, and the shades were drawn closed. He looked around frantically, and saw Obi-Wan, safe and sound, at his side. The younger man's arm had slipped slightly, from where it had obviously been resting on his stomach. Shaking his head in frustration, the blonde disentangled himself from his former apprentice, and ran a hand through his damp hair as he made his way out of the bedroom… Maybe he'd get some air…

It was mere moments later that Obi-Wan joined him on the balcony. He looked up at his face, and then just stood at his side in silence. If Anakin wanted to talk about whatever it was that bothered him, he would. They stood there for a long time, merely staring, before Anakin bothered to speak. The light wind had dried the fear-induced sweat form his skin, by this point, and now whipped at the open tunic he barely remembered grabbing.

"What are you doing up?" He wondered softly, leaning against the railing tiredly. "It's late…you should be in bed."

"So should you," Obi-Wan replied, in an equally quiet tone. "You took what was left of my turn on the ship and your own, in all reality, Master, you should be sleeping until some time tomorrow afternoon."

Smiling dryly at him, Anakin reached up his flesh hand and mussed his hair, in a would-be playful gesture.

"It was a dream," he supplied a moment later. "A vision. A bad one."

Obi-Wan twined their fingers together, looking into Anakin's clouded eyes with concern.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" He questioned gently.

"No," the older man informed him bluntly. "It was about you, and I don't want you to fret over it."

Obi-Wan sighed and nodded. He leaned up, kissing the side of Anakin's neck and then licking the spot over.

"Come back to bed, and I'll make you forget," he promised quietly.

Anakin raised an eyebrow at him, his lips twisting sardonically. Running his hands through Obi-Wan's hair, he let out a soft breath of consent.

"It might have only been a dream," he admitted quietly, allowing Obi-Wan to lead him back inside. "But, I don't like dreaming about you." It was ironic. He was probably the only one on Coruscant who didn't like dreaming about his loved ones. It still hung over his head, though, how he had envisioned Qui-Gon and Maul, shortly before their trip to Naboo. He didn't want that to happen again…he couldn't bear to watch another lover be run through…

Some days later

"To capture General Grievous, young Kenobi will go," Yoda told them, as Obi-Wan and Anakin stood before the Council. Obi-Wan bowed, as Mace turned his gaze onto Anakin.

"We have a mission for you, as well," he said. "This position that the Chancellor has offered you…we want you to take it, and then report back to us on his dealings."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. His fiercely loyal instincts were just _screaming_ that this was a bad plan. However…he wasn't on the Council, and had no right to argue against it, either.

"Yes, Master…" He was still feeling fatigue from their last mission. Even if he'd had the right to argue, he doubted he'd have the energy.

"When will I leave, Master?" Obi-Wan asked Yoda.

"When ready you are," Yoda answered, and Obi-Wan nodded. That was all that was said, and they were clearly dismissed. Obi-Wan bowed and they turned to leave the room.

Anakin was silent, once they were out in the hall again. He was clearly not pleased with his assignment. He also, just as clearly, did not intend to discuss it.

"At least you will still be able to rest, Master," Obi-Wan offered, trying to make him feel better. "This business with watching the Chancellor should be a day thing."

"Yes," the blonde agreed tersely. "Because, _obviously_ what I need is to rest, while I betray one of my closest friends."

"The Council would not assign you such a mission without a good reason, Master. Trust the Force, and it shall guide you," the younger man told him, as they stopped in the docking bay. "Be careful."

"I'm always careful, old friend," Anakin sighed, giving his shoulder a brief squeeze. "I don't envy you for your mission. I want _you_ to be careful, hear me?"

Obi-Wan smiled, and nodded. "Always, Master. May the Force be with you."

The blonde Knight felt a cold dread crawling through his stomach to his head, as he watched Obi-Wan walk away. He…_needed_ to find a way to keep that vision from coming true…somehow…

At the opera

Anakin had just arrived, and was now sitting beside Palpatine, watching the Mon Calamari ballet be preformed before them. They had been speaking for a few moments, when Palpatine's words truly caught his attention.

"Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith, so powerful and so wise, he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians to create…life. He had such a knowledge of the dark side, that he could even keep the one he cared about from dying…"

_He could even keep the ones he loved…_ The words echoed through his mind, and his mouth gaped slightly as he turned form the giant water bubble to look at the old man by his side.

"It is possible to _learn_ this power?" He wondered breathlessly.

Palpatine gave him a smile.

"Not from a Jedi."

Anakin frowned, hearing that. That meant…

"You have to turn to the dark side…" He mumbled, his brows creasing further.

"I can teach you," Palpatine said, leaning closer to him.

Anakin's eyes were more intent, and here merely nodded his assent. He had to learn…he had to save Obi-Wan…

Back at the Temple

Mace stared down at the hologram of Commander Cody.

"Master Windu, may I interrupt? General Kenobi has made contact with General Grievous, and we have begun our attack," Commander Cody reported.

"Thank you, Commander. Anakin, deliver this report to the Chancellor. His reaction will give us a clue to his intentions." Mace instructed.

Anakin nodded in agreement, he'd realized a sort of surreal calm since Palpatine had offered and begun to train him. It was the strangest thing…he should have been panicked, but he wasn't.

"Yes, Master Windu," he murmured, before hurrying to catch a speeder to the Senate complex.

Order 66 was executed, but Obi-Wan, and somehow Yoda, survived. (Anakin had put a plea in with Palpatine, not to attack his former padawan, during the Jedi purge.) When young Kenobi returned to the Temple, he found it in ruins. Smoke billowed from the majestic roof spires, and corpses littered the halls. Men, women, younglings…Masters and Padawans, and Knights…all dead…

It was by avoiding the clones that Obi-Wan and Yoda came across the slaughtered bodies of the younglings. Pain flooded through his senses, and Yoda closed his eyes sadly.

"Not even the younglings survived…" Obi-Wan murmured.

"Killed not by clones, this Padawan… By _light saber_, he was," Yoda told him gravely.

"Who?" Obi-Wan blinked at him in confusion. "Who could have done this?"

Yoda gave him no reply…he would know the answer soon enough.


	10. Life Will Go On

Chapter Ten

_Broken skies  
__Heartaches that flowers won't mend  
__Say goodbye, knowing that this is the end  
__Tender dream, shadows fall  
__Love too sweet to recall  
__Dry your eyes, face the dawn  
__Life will go on  
__Life will go on  
__All day long, I thought that we still had a chance  
__Letting go, this is the end of romance  
__Broken heart,  
__Find your way  
__Make it through just this day  
__Face the world on your own  
__Life will go on  
__Life will go on  
__There'll be blue skies  
__There'll be true love  
__Someday, I'll hold you again  
__There'll be blue skies  
__In a better world, darling  
__Tender dream  
__Shadows fall  
__Love too sweet to recall  
__Dry your eyes, face the dawn  
__Life will go on  
__Life will go on  
__Broken heart,  
__Find your way  
__Make it through just this day  
__Face the world on your own  
__Life will go on  
__Life will go on  
_Life Will Go On (Chris Isaak, Always Got Tonight)

Yoda was leading him away from the archive bank, where he'd just finished recalibrating the retreat code, when Obi-Wan stopped and glanced over his shoulder. He had a sick feeling in his heart that eh didn't want to believe, but…

"Wait, Master… There is something I must know…" He said, going over to the security holograms.

"If into the security recordings you go, only pain will you find," Yoda warned him.

"I must know the truth, Master," Obi-Wan told him painfully. Pressing the buttons, he fast forwarded through the images, until he stopped on one of Anakin slaughtering all the Jedi…younglings included.

"It can't be…it can't be…" He whimpered. He could only watch as Anakin surveyed the damage, and the Sith Lord entered. Anakin turned to Darth Sidious, and knelt before him. The words were lost as he pressed the button that would stop the scenes. Turning back to Yoda, tears well up in his eyes. "I can't watch any more."

"Destroy the Sith, we must," Yoda told him, tapping his gimer stick on the floor. Obi-Wan looked at him in horror.

"Send me to fight the Emperor," he beseeched the old Master. "I will not kill Anakin."

"To fight this Lord Sidious, strong enough you are not."

"He is my…brother…I cannot do it." Obi-Wan shook his head. He'd almost said 'lover', but stopped himself in time.

"Twisted by the dark side, young Skywalker has become. The man who trained you, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader."

"How could it have come to this?" Yoda shook his head. "I do not know where the Emperor has sent him. I don't know where to look!"

"Use your feelings, Obi-Wan, and find him you will. Visit the new Emperor, my task is. May the Force be with you," Yoda said forcefully, knowing very well that this could be the last time he'd see Obi-Wan.

"May the Force be with you, Master Yoda."

Despite the heat of the Mustafar system, Anakin had to suppress a shiver. His dream…his _nightmare_ burned vividly in his mind, as the lava flowed around the ashen shore. It didn't matter, though, what nightmares he had. He was selling his _soul_ to save Obi-Wan…it had to work. He had to believe it would work!

Entering the Separatist compound, he was greeted congenially by San Hill. It didn't take long to close the blast doors…after that it was all clean up.

"Well done, Lord Vader," Darth Sidious congratulated him, once Nute Gunray and his cronies were dead. "Now, contact the Trade Federation ships and order that all droid armies be shut down now."

"Very good, my lord," Anakin droned, though a beeping instrument signaled an incoming ship. The shape and size indicated a Starfighter…a Jedi Interceptor…but, that would mean…Obi-Wan! All thoughts of droid armies chased themselves out of his mind, as he trotted to go meet his younger lover on the landing strip. Obi-Wan ran to him the moment the ramp was down far enough to let him off the ship.

"Please, Master…Anakin…tell me this is not real," he begged, looking into his eyes, searching. He found only Sith taint waiting for him, but the glimpse was brief. The blonde man embraced him quickly enough, obscuring his vision.

"I had to save you," he mumbled into his hair. "I couldn't bear to watch you die…this is the only way. I'm willing to do it, for you."

Obi-Wan shook his head in disbelief.

"I didn't want to believe it…I couldn't, but now…_you are not my Master_. You are not the Anakin I love," he stated and stepped back, activating his light saber. "I will fight to regain him."

Anakin's eyebrows furrowed in shock, and he took an unsteady step back, drawing his own hilt to his gloved hand with the Force.

"It's too late now," he informed Obi-Wan, his voice dangerously soft. "Anakin is dead. I've sold my soul for you… Don't you _dare_ turn against me, after that!"

"I am not turning against you, I am fighting for you," he said again. "Darkness has replaced what I saw, what _he_ saw…I will not let you fall this way."

"Far too late for that, young one." Anakin's tone was almost nostalgic, and his light saber flashed to life, to block the blow Obi-Wan launched at him now.

The sabers twirled and clashed, as the Jedi and the Sith met their combat in a shower of sparks and lava. Finally, they faced each other down on a dirt bank, just as Anakin remembered. His light saber still hummed merrily in his hand, as the dark side morphed his perception, and he watched Obi-Wan with merciless gold eyes.

"Why! Why are you doing this, Master?" Obi-Wan demanded, tears filling his eyes, more from sorrow than the ash and smoke that filled the air.

"I'm doing this for us. It's the only way we can be together," Anakin replied calmly.

"You're tearing us apart!" Obi-Wan corrected, shaking his head violently.

"The Council would never allow it."

"Be damned the Council!" The brunette yelled.

"The Order is your life—"

"No! _You_ are my life!"

Anakin shook his head slightly, looking away.

"Only due to Qui-Gon." Had his first love not requested it on his deathbed, Anakin wouldn't have considered taking the overage boy on. "Only due to the Jedi." His eyes flashed back again. "Do not try to disillusion me with your pretty lies, Padawan. I have _seen through_ the lies of the Jedi. I do not fear the dark side as you do!"

Obi-Wan fell to his knees in front of Anakin, staring up at him, as his tears fell down. Dispassion fled to fear, as the scene clicked in Anakin's clouded mind. He shook his head more hysterically now. No…no…it was happening…it couldn't happen now! Not now!

"Please, Anakin…Master, don't go where I can't follow… I cannot fall, but I can't let you fall alone, either…" He brought his light saber to his chest, right over his heart. "I love you…"

He activated the light saber.

"No!" The shriek tore itself from his throat, without his bidding, and the great Anakin Skywalker collapsed to the ground, gathering the dying boy into his arms. "No…" He repeated, his own tears falling now. "No, no, no…" But, Obi-Wan was already cooling. There was no way to save a dead man. The river stone Qui-Gon had given to him, and then he had given to Obi-Wan slipped from the younger man's now limp fingers, rolling down through the ash.

A burst of chaos broke out in his mind, and he gathered his Padawan up. He couldn't do this… He couldn't watch another love die, and just go on without him! He didn't feel the heat of the lava, when he jumped into the molten lake. He didn't feel the pain of flesh being burned away, as he died. He felt only calm…the ultimate calm of death and the Force.

Warmth enveloped him. No, this was not the warmth of the lava, as it burned away their flesh and bones, just as fire always did for true Jedi funerals. No, this warmth came from the Force that surrounded them. When Anakin opened his eyes, he could feel tears gathering.

Qui-Gon stood before him, just as he had before the incident on Naboo. Anakin opened his mouth, to start to say that he had failed him miserably – he had failed everyone – but Qui-Gon just took him into his arms, and held him.

"I am proud of you, Ani," he stated simply, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. When he pulled away and rested his head on Anakin's, the latter could see over his shoulder. Obi-Wan gave him a smile, and slowly faded away. This was what they all wanted, after all.

Happiness.


End file.
